The University of Virginia and the Institute for Shipboard Education have named three academic and executive deans, respectively, for the 2015 Semester at Sea voyages.
Mark Thomas, University of Virginia professor of history at economics will serve as academic dean on the Semester at Sea Spring 2015 voyage. Thomas has previously sailed with Semester at Sea as academic dean on the Fall 2011 voyage. Thomas will lead the 2015 Spring Voyage with Les McCabe, President of the Institute for Shipboard Education, who will serve as executive dean. Since joining ISE in 1987, McCabe has sailed on 8 voyages, 5 times as executive dean.
Victor Luftig, University of Virginia associate professor and director of the Center for the Liberal Arts will serve as academic dean for the Semester at Sea Summer 2015 voyage. Luftig also serves as the university’s academic coordinator for Semester at Sea, and previously sailed as academic dean on the Spring 2012 voyage. Luftig will lead the Summer 2015 voyage with T. Kenn Gaither, associate professor and associate dean at the Elon University School of Communications, who will serve as executive dean.
The Fall 2015 voyage will sail under the leadership of Dr. Sharon Hostler, University of Virginia McLemore Birdsong Professor of Pediatrics, Senior Associate Dean at the School of Medicine, and Vice Provost for Faculty Development. This will be Dr. Hostler’s second time serving as academic dean for Semester at Sea, as she led the program’s Spring 2013 voyage. Luke Jones, ISE’s Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives will serve as the Fall 2015 Voyage executive dean. Jones served as executive dean on the May 2012 Short-Term Voyage.
