Institute for the Arts and Humanities taps Granda, Strom-Gottfried for leadership posts

September 13, 2007

Megan Granda	Kim Strom-Gottfried

Chapel Hill, N.C. — The Institute for the Arts and Humanities has named a new executive director and a new associate director, both effective July 1.

Megan Granda, a former program specialist with UNC's William and Ida Friday Center for Continuing Education, has been named executive director of the Institute. Kim Strom-Gottfried, a distinguished professor in the School of Social Work, has been named an associate director and will direct the Institute's Academic Leadership Program.

The Institute for the Arts and Humanities, part of the College of Arts and Sciences, offers a wide range of activities to support UNC faculty at every stage of their careers.

"Megan and Kim bring a wide range of special skills and expertise that will expand Institute services for UNC faculty and outreach to our broader community," said Institute Director John McGowan, Ruel W. Tyson Jr. Distinguished Professor.

Granda succeeds David Kiel, who served as interim executive director and continues to serve the Institute as senior consultant to the Academic Leadership Program.

As program specialist for the Friday Center, Granda developed and ran research dissemination programs, such as "What's the Big Idea" and "The End of Cinematics," developed in partnership with Carolina Performing Arts. She previously worked as curator of a private art collection in Durham, N.C., and as assistant curator of exhibitions at the Ackland Art Museum. She earned doctoral and master's degrees in art history from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor's in art history from the University of Delaware.

At the Institute, Granda will work with faculty to develop grant proposals, establish collaborative working groups and present their scholarship to a variety of on- and off-campus audiences.

"Megan's background in the arts and in public outreach will contribute to our ongoing efforts to support and stage faculty work in the arts and humanities," McGowan said.

Strom-Gottfried, the Smith P. Theimann Jr. Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Professional Practice, replaces Jane Brown, James L. Knight Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication, who directed the leadership program for five years and has taken a position on the Institute's leadership advisory board.

Strom-Gottfried teaches in the School of Social Work in the areas of direct practice, communities and organizations, and human resource management. Her practice focus is in suicide prevention, intervention and bereavement. Her scholarly interests are in the areas of ethics, education and social work practice.

Formerly associate dean of the School of Social Work, Strom-Gottfried served for 18 months as the school's interim dean. She is the former chair of the National Association of Social Workers' National Committee on Inquiry and is active in training, consultation and research on ethical practice and ethical misconduct. She received her bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Maine, her master's of social work from Adelphi University and her doctoral degree from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

"Kim is a natural for the leadership program," McGowan said. "She has held key leadership positions at UNC and her scholarly work on moral courage speaks to the biggest challenges faced by individuals at work and outside of it."

The Institute for the Arts and Humanities, part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's College of Arts and Sciences, offers programs and activities that support UNC faculty at every stage of their careers. The Institute funds individual and collaborative research projects, showcases faculty work, develops faculty leaders and teachers, and facilitates the formation of collaborative, interdisciplinary communities that promote intellectual exchange. For more information, contact the Institute at (919) 962-0249 or visit www.iah.unc.edu.