President Herzberger announces appointment of Penelope Bryan as new Law School Dean
To the Whittier Law School Community:
I am proud to announce that Penelope Bryan has accepted our offer to become the next dean of Whittier Law School, effective July 2009. She will come to Whittier from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law where she serves as Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Penelope had the overwhelming support of the search committee, the faculty, and all who met her. She was chosen over a large pool of outstanding candidates because of her reputation as a national expert in family law, dispute resolution, and the complex field of child custody, as well as her broad and successful administration of multiple legal academic programs. She has expanded and refined the Sturm Law School’s well-known Lawyering in Spanish, Environmental and Natural Resources LL.M., and Masters of Science in Legal Administration programs. She has led outreach initiatives to Latin America and guided the development of exciting international opportunities for law students. She successfully has encouraged faculty at the Sturm Law School to integrate experiential educational opportunities into traditional law classes and led the strategic planning and assessment process. Her constructive relationship with the ABA also will benefit our school.
The search committee and all who met Penelope were attracted to her obvious commitment to and vision for the advancement of Whittier Law School, her strong work ethic, her experience, and her “can do” approach to seizing opportunity. She will take advantage of strengths on both the Law School and undergraduate campuses and build programs to provide the best possible educational experiences for our students. She also quickly will reach out and enlist the help of our accomplished alumni in these efforts.
Penelope earned her undergraduate degree at Rollins College and holds a master’s degree in sociology as well as her J.D. from the University of Florida. She has taught for 20 years at the University of Denver where she rose to the rank of Professor and Associate Dean. Penelope will arrive on campus in July 2009, and will work closely with Dean Neil Cogan and me in the interim.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dean Neil Cogan for his many contributions during his years at the helm of our law school. He attracted outstanding faculty and students to Whittier, and his vision in establishing the nationally renowned Academic Success and Legal Writing Programs and other curricular reforms resulted in the exceptional success of our law students on the most recent California Bar Examination. With 84 percent of our graduates passing the bar and their performance exceeding that of graduates from 11 other ABA accredited law schools in California, we have a bright future; and I thank Neil and all those in the Whittier Law School community who contributed to this success and for making Whittier the type of law school that can attract and inspire a new, energetic, talented and creative dean.
I also must thank our hard-working search committee, composed of Associate Dean Judith Daar, Professors Andrea Funk, Denny Haythorn, Paula Manning, and Peter Reich, alumnus Keith Rodenhuis, 3L Derek Scott, and trustee Ernie Park, and assisted by Executive Assistant to the President Kristin Wiberg. Searches involve a two-way process. Through an elaborate set of procedures, search committee members must identify the very best candidates, and they simultaneously serve as important ambassadors for the institution and inspire candidates’ continued interest. This search committee performed both roles superbly, and I thank them.
With all my best wishes,
Sharon D. Herzberger
President
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