September 2009 FLORIDA STATE Florida State ranked No. 3 in arts research iimesmes By Libby Fairhurst BESTTHREE RHODES IN SCHOLARST IN FOUR YEARS News and Public Affairs The Florida State University is one No other state university in the of the nation’s most prolific research country can make that claim. institutions in the arts, according to NATION more on PAGE 6 rankings recently released by Science Watch that place Florida State third among the universities with the most published papers in the field of performing arts between 2003 and 2007. Science Watch conferred that No. 3 rank on The Florida State University after surveying more than 6,000 articles from more than 240 of the leading scholarly journals in the arts. Other institutions ranked in the top five are City University of New York, New York University and Indiana University (tie), Columbia University Joe Garrett Myron and the University of Texas-Austin. O’Shea Johnson Rolle It’s no secret that the arts have (2008) (2006) (2009) long enjoyed an outstanding national reputation and been integral to the history and culture at Florida State. Still, Florida State’s College of Music Board of Dean Don Gibson and Dean Sally Trustees seek public input McRorie, who heads the College Trustees of Visual Arts, Theatre and Dance, in search for next president candidates say it’s nice to get it in writing from By Jill Elish sought such an objective, respected source build on our strengths and move While the presidential search is News and Public Affairs as Science Watch (www.sciencewatch. us forward to the next level,” expected to get under way in the The Florida Board of com). Distributed by Thomson As The Florida State University Smith said in an open letter to the coming weeks, trustees did not Governors and Gov. Charlie Reuters, Science Watch gathers and launches the search for a successor university community posted on establish a time frame for selecting Crist are seeking candidates analyzes data on scientists, journals to President T.K. Wetherell, who the presidential search Web site. the next president. to appoint as trustees of The and institutions to track basic research in June announced his resignation, “Replacing President Wetherell will “We’re going to take our time,” Florida State University. trends and performances. members of the public are invited not be an easy task, but we will Smith said, explaining that finding Four appointments — two “These rankings provide further to suggest qualifications or make pursue it with thoroughness and the right candidate will dictate the by the Board of Governors and recommendations for potential transparency. Our goal is to be fair, timetable. The ideal candidate, he continued on PAGE 2 two by the Governor’s Office candidates. competitive, inclusive and open.” said, will have outstanding academic — will be made to fill the terms Board of Trustees Chairman In the meantime, the Board of credentials and be a proven fund- of trustees whose terms are Jim Smith has encouraged all Trustees has hired Academic Search raiser capable of helping the expiring. PAID Non-Profit faculty, students, staff and alumni Inc. to conduct the presidential university succeed in a $1 billion Those interested in applying U.S. Postage Organization Permit #1884 Little Rock, AR to take an active interest in the search, which will be led by John capital campaign. for the Board of Governors’ search process. They may e-mail Hicks, a senior consultant with the Smith also said a search advisory appointments should complete their comments or suggestions Washington, D.C., firm. The firm committee, which will include the application form available to [email protected]. has assisted Florida State in the past students, faculty, staff and members on the BOG Web site at www. Comments and other news related with its searches for the deans of the of the community, will likely be flbog.edu/aboutsus/ubt.php. to the presidential search will be university’s colleges of business and established before the trustees’ next Those interested in applying posted at a new Web site devoted medicine. meeting on Sept. 17. The search for a Governor’s appointment to the presidential search, www. Smith expressed a high comfort committee’s meetings are expected should call (850) 488-2183. president.fsu.edu/search. level with Academic Search given to be webcast to provide wide “We must seek a new leader to its familiarity with the university. public access to its deliberations. Neighborhood of Discovery Education on the rise If there were a simple motto for many Two professors helping of the things that go on at The Florida Indonesia meet its need for State University’s Southwest Campus new teachers. in Tallahassee, it could be “Building a Better Tomorrow.” more on PAGE 3 more on PAGE 8 The Florida State University 1600 Red Barber Plaza Tallahassee, FL 32310-6068 2 FLORIDA STATE Times September 2009 From archaeologist to university president Self-confidence drives Bense to excellence By Kim MacQueen to start the archaeology department that is also full of difficult decisions. Growing up on a farm in Panama at UWF. She said that when she got But it was still like going from first City, Fla., Judy Bense developed to the university following her Ph.D. base to third,” Bense said. “You’re such a love of archaeology that she work at Washington State University all alone at the top, and you have to originally planned to study in Egypt. in the early 1970s, “there was nothing make up your mind what is good for But then she got to Florida State as an here. There wasn’t a salary, there the university — which is not always undergraduate, and she realized there wasn’t a program — nothing. I love the same as what is good for the was no reason to leave. What she has to dig, and I love finding things. I individual units. Sometimes the vision dug up all over Northwest Florida has wanted to see if I couldn’t build a doesn’t come fast enough.” fascinated her ever since. program around that idea, to engage But she also notes that “it takes It’s a good thing she stayed. Bense this community in the enjoyment of strong and inclusive leadership, was tapped for the presidency of the archaeology.” which I developed beginning in University of West Florida in July Judy Bense The idea also eventually led my undergraduate days in FSU 2008, after an impressive career that Bense to form the Florida Public archaeology. Leadership and included building that university’s Archaeology Network at UWF, administration go together, so the Archaeology Institute from the ground which is dedicated to bringing leap from building and leading a large up, and founding the nation’s largest archaeology to the general public archaeological division from scratch community archaeology program. through a series of regional centers at UWF to being president is actually Like her brother Allan, former throughout the state, each staffed one of scale. I am amazed at how well speaker of the Florida House of was a largely untouched land of from Indian settlements and Spanish with professional archaeologists. The archaeology and building a program Representatives, Judy Bense has always swamp and dunes. There had never shipwrecks. But to the delight of effort is coordinated by the university, that includes the public have prepared known she can do what she puts her been a professional archaeologist in Bense and an increasingly engaged which also hosts the network’s me for the presidency.” mind to — so if she’d wanted to be the area. community, “we’re still finding stuff,” northwest regional center. It is one The same drive that got Bense in Egypt, you can bet she’d be there “My undergraduate career she said. of only a handful of statewide public to the presidency is helping her now. prepared me very well for my career “The archaeologist who took my archaeology programs in the country. feel grounded there, in a grueling “I think our mother really built as an archaeologist: lots of field work place in the department just found a So when she was asked to consider schedule that often sees her working this drive into us,” she said. “My experiences, hands-on experiences, Spanish mission site from the 1600s stepping in as president, after teaching 12- to 14-hour days, starting with brother and I have talked about this difficult projects and supervision that hasn’t even been plowed,” Bense in and leading the university’s appearances at 7 a.m. meetings in a lot, the fact that we have this great experiences,” she said. “I also earned said. “There are two shipwrecks in Archaeology Institute for 28 years, which “not only do I need to be there, self-confidence. We don’t ever think my master’s degree at FSU; I found Pensacola Bay from 1559. Pensacola Bense says she had to think about I am on the program. Often, I am that we can’t do something. It’s just a that I was very well prepared for a has incredible, untouched archaeology. it for a couple of days. Ultimately, the program . and I’m not even question of what hill to climb.” doctoral program, and I finished in People thought it had to be all gone though, she called being picked for the supposed to be awake yet. Bense started as an undergraduate record time.” by now. They couldn’t believe it. presidency “the biggest compliment of “I have not been this busy in 25 in the archaeology program at The Fast-forward to 2009, and you’d They believe it now.” my life.” years,” she said.