Hamilton College House picks new dean

Hamilton College House's new dean is no stranger to the college house system.

Tabitha Dell'Angelo -- who was named as Hamilton's new dean yesterday and will formally begin her term on Nov. 25 --formerly worked as a graduate associate in Hamilton, as well as in Hill College House, between 1997 and 2000. She is currently finishing her doctorate at the Graduate School of Education.

Dell'Angelo is replacing Roberta Stack, who left Penn on Oct. 11 to take a position at Northwestern University. After 20 years, Stack said she was happy to be going back to her hometown, but sad to be leaving Penn.

Stack had been the Hamilton Dean for the past four years, since the inception of the college house system.

The committee that selected Dell'Angelo included Hamilton House Coordinator Amy Singh, Interim Faculty Master Michael Gamer, Harrison College House Dean Frank Pellicone and Harnwell College House Dean Suhnne Ahn.

Philip Nichols, the faculty director of college houses and academic services, said that the committee was lucky because they received applications from many qualified candidates.

Nichols said he is very pleased with the committee's choice.

Dell'Angelo "is now the coordinator for research in one of our centers at the University," Nichols said. "She is a very interesting person."

Nichols also said that Dell'Angelo's vision for Hamilton matches that of the rest of the staff.

"The Hamilton people that talked to her thought she was perfect.... They are very excited about having her join them," Nichols said. "She understands the culture of Hamilton College House."

Prior to her time as Hamilton dean, Stack had also served as a GA in Hill House, as well as a senior fellow and assistant dean.

The Hamilton House staff had said they were very sad to see Stack leave. However, they are very pleased about the candidate they have selected to replace her.

"We're thrilled to be bringing in so qualified a candidate, and can't think of a better person to be filling Roberta Stack's shoes," Gamer wrote in an e-mail yesterday to house residents.

Hamilton is not the only house to have a recent change in leadership. Last semester, Howard Stevenson gave up his position as DuBois College House faculty master after eight years in order to pursue research projects.

And in May, Nichols replaced college house system mastermind David Brownlee as faculty director of the system, becoming only the second person to hold that position.

Dell'Angelo could not be reached for comment yesterday.

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