It’s the summer of change in the Faculty of Social Sciences with the appointment of three new administrators. And now, with the school year just two weeks away, they’re ready to make their marks.

Ingrid Makus

Ingrid Makus took charge as acting dean in place of Tom Dunk who is on research leave, Nick Baxter-Moore was named associate dean for undergraduate studies and Diane Dupont became associate dean for graduate studies and research.

Makus, who was associate dean for graduate studies and research for the past three years before becoming acting dean, has her Hons. Bachelor of Arts from Winnipeg in addition to a master’s and a doctorate from the University of Toronto.

Her research interests include examining current debates over identity politics and rights discourse. Her most recent work discussed Simone de Beauvoir ‘s contribution to the ethics of political responsibility.

As acting dean, Makus’s goals this year include continuing to foster excellence in teaching, research and service in the Faculty of Social Sciences.

“I want to move forward the development of several new programs in the Faculty and help the Brock team put on a successful Congress,” she said. “I want to showcase the Faculty’s high-calibre researchers, scholars, students and policy-makers.

When Makus isn’t dedicating her time to academic pursuits, she likes to play tennis, swim, play the violin and hang out with her two daughters, Kira and Megan.

Her passion? “I love shoes!”

Baxter-Moore has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Manchester, a ?MSc from the London School of Economics and a?PhD from Carleton University. His research interests include?popular culture and identity; class, nation and popular music; local popular culture and politics; and popular culture.

He stepped on the Brock campus in 1985.

“I came to Brock on a three-year limited term position and have been here ever since – first in Political Science (1985-2003), and since 2003 in Communications, Popular Culture and Film.”

As associate dean for undergraduate studies, Baxter-Moore’s principal goal is to use his office to support teaching and learning in the Faculty of Social Sciences.

“I can’t, or won’t, be more specific about how I’ll do that,” he said, “until I have spent more time talking – and, more importantly, listening – to people on the front lines.”

That would include academic advisers, chairs and directors, and other faculty members and staff directly involved in counselling students, curriculum development, and devising innovative methods of program delivery in the various Social Sciences departments and centres.

“We have to find ways at least to maintain – better yet improve on – our commitment to excellence in teaching and learning, and to insist on the continuing importance of the Social Sciences in the current climate of restraint and retrenchment.”

Baxter-Moore’s downtime activities are as eclectic as his academic interests and include soccer, listening to and playing pop music, reading detective novels, English country dancing and being a historical re-enactor.

Diane Dupont

Dupont, a Brock professor for 20 years, has a PhD in Economics from the University of British Columbia (1988).

She is a recipient of the Chancellor’s Chair for Research Excellence, 2006-2009, and the Distinguished Research and Creative Activity Award for 2012.

As associate dean for graduate studies and research, Dupont has three aims.

“I want to work with graduate program directors to build on past successes in graduate studies in our faculty,” she said.

“Secondly, I’m looking forward to working with colleagues to support research by FOSS faculty. And finally, I am eager to help Ingrid and Nick represent FOSS faculty and interests within the Brock community.”

Dupont enjoys a gourmet-dining group, gardening, camping and investing when she’s not researching environmental economics, non-market valuation and fisheries economics.