鈥淒eirdre brings a wealth of experience as an outstanding teacher, scholar, and department chair,鈥� said in an April 5 email announcing the appointment to the campus community. 鈥淪he knows EMU well, having served on the faculty since 1998. She has the skills and dispositions necessary for leading the undergraduate programs into their next stage of growth and development.鈥�

Since joining the EMU faculty, Smeltzer has held increasingly responsible positions, including chair of the , 2005-2012. During 2012-13, Smeltzer had dual roles as a faculty member and director of EMU鈥檚 extensive . Smeltzer has been a member of EMU鈥檚 strategic planning council, faculty senate and undergraduate council executive committee.

Prior to coming to EMU, she served for four years on the faculty of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. She has taught courses on more than two dozen topics in her field and is author or co-author of a number of peer-reviewed articles and a textbook.

鈥淒eirdre is known by her colleagues for her excellent problem-solving and strategic-thinking skills, and for her commitment to high academic standards,鈥� said Kniss. 鈥淚 am eagerly looking forward to working with her in the years ahead as we move into an exciting period of growth and development for undergraduate programs at EMU.鈥�

Smeltzer majored in mathematics and minored in at EMU, graduating in 1987. She earned her MS and PhD in mathematics at the University of Virginia.

Recalling her undergraduate years at EMU, Smeltzer credits two professors, Millard Showalter in Calculus II and Del Snyder in Discrete Math, for nurturing her interest in higher-level mathematics. 鈥淢illard made class interesting, and I found myself doing his homework first,鈥� she recalled in an interview with the EMU alumni magazine. 鈥淚n Discrete Math, I discovered that I really loved the abstract, logical thinking required 鈥� much more than the hands-on labs of chemistry, which was another major that I was considering.鈥�

As a scholar, Smeltzer has published articles on topics such as 鈥淓dge bounds in non-hamiltonian k-connected graphs鈥� and 鈥淓xploring Loci in Geometry鈥� (both with her EMU colleague , PhD) and has given presentations on 鈥渁pplications of circular and spherical inversions,鈥� among other topics. She, Byer and a third mathematician, Felix Lazebnik, are authors of a textbook on Euclidean geometry, published by the Mathematical Association of America in 2010. A second book is in the works.

Fulfilling commitments made before her new appointment, Smeltzer will be co-leading an in the fall of 2013. She did a sabbatical in China in 2006, where she taught and wrote.

Smeltzer and husband Sherwyn, a 1986 graduate in accounting, are the parents of Meg, a senior at EMU, and Claire, enrolled at Eastern Mennonite High School.

Dr. Nancy Heisey, professor of Bible and religion at EMU, will begin a three-year term in a new role as vice president and undergraduate academic dean on July 1, 2010.

The appointment was announced by EMU President Loren Swartzendruber and EMU Provost Fred Kniss. Dr. Vernon Jantzi, professor emeritus of sociology, has been serving as interim undergraduate academic dean this academic year.

“The search committee identified four primary characteristics that the next academic dean should embody – an ‘inductive visionary,’ a leader who could make good decisions expeditiously, communicate them clearly and implement them effectively; an advocate for the faculty and the resources they need for personal and professional development and a scholar committed to a holistic approach to student learning,” Dr. Kniss said. “We believe that Nancy Heisey has the experience, motivation and disposition to meet these high standards.”

Heisey joined the EMU faculty in 1999 following a distinguished career of administrative leadership with the Mennonite Central Committee, Akron, Pa. She completed a six-year term as president of Mennonite World Conference in 2009. She has been a prolific writer and speaker throughout her career.

She received a BA degree from Messiah College, Grantham, Pa.; an MDiv degree from Eastern Mennonite Seminary; and MA and PhD degree from Temple University.

She is married to Paul Longacre, who volunteers in community and family organizations in Virgina and Pennsylvania, and is a member of Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg.