O'Brien, Smith Named Acting Department Chairs at Baylor
Dr. Donald D. Schmeltekopf, provost and vice president for academic affairs at Baylor University, has announced the appointment of two acting chairs in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Dr. J. Randall O'Brien, professor of religion, has been appointed acting chair of the department of religion, effective Aug. 16. Dr. Glenn O. Hilburn retires as chair of the department on Aug. 15, but will continue his teaching duties.
Dr. R. Alden Smith, associate professor of classics, has been appointed acting chair of the Department of Classics, also effective Aug. 16. Smith succeeds Dr. Randy Todd, who has accepted a position with Samford University.
A graduate of Mississippi College, O'Brien received his master of sacred theology degree from Yale University, and his master of divinity and doctor of theology degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition, he has held teaching positions at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Ouachita Baptist University, Yale University and Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
O'Brien has been a faculty member at Baylor since 1991. He was named an outstanding professor in 1992 and 1993 by Gamma Beta Phi honor society. His wife, Kay, is a lecturer in social work at Baylor.
Smith is a graduate of Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pa. He received his master's degree from the University of Vermont and completed his doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Baylor faculty since 1994, Smith has been active in both the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core and the Honors Program and plays a major role in the Baylor in Italy program.
A religion chair search committee has been appointed, and a committee to search for a permanent chair of the classics department will be named soon.