LAKELAND, Fla. (August 5, 2005) – Florida Southern College announced the appointment of James T. Byrd, Ph.D. as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Byrd will join the dean’s office August 10.

Byrd comes to Florida Southern from Armstrong Atlantic State University, where he served as interim assistant to the vice president of academic affairs, chair of the semester conversion committee, and director of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools self-study. This summer he completed his sixth year of assisting with the university system’s summer program in Paris, serving as director since 2003.

Byrd earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and French and his master in public health degree in environmental chemistry from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. He received his doctorate in chemical oceanography from Florida State University. He is a member of the Georgia Academy of Science, the American Geophysical Union, and the American Chemical Society.

About Florida Southern College

Founded in 1885, Florida Southern College is a private, comprehensive, United Methodist college with a liberal arts core. The college maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 38 undergraduate majors and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 14:1 student/faculty ratio, provides strong student/faculty mentorship programs, boasts 25 NCAA Division II national championships, and is ranked by U. S. News and World Report as one of the top ten Southern Comprehensive Colleges-Bachelors. Located on scenic Lake Hollingsworth, Florida Southern is the home of the world’s largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.