Professor Bruce Cairns of the N.C. Jaycee Burn Center has been elected to succeed Professor Jan Boxill as Chair of the Faculty for a three-year term beginning July 1, 2014.
Cairns defeated Professor Andrew Perrin from the Sociology Department in an election that ended Monday night at midnight with a record turnout of over 2000 voters.
“I see this as an opportunity to continue the great tradition of service and leadership,” Cairns said.
Cairns said he will be able to better prioritize the issues facing the University once he has met with all of them.
“Each one of them has an agenda and almost every issue that affects the faculty is addressed by those committees,” he said.
He said he would be working closely with Boxill until she steps down to ensure a smooth transition. In an interview conducted before Cairns was elected, Boxill said he has shown a passion for faculty governance.
“He makes it his business to understand, because he is just struck by the vibrancy and the brilliance of the campus,” she said.
Dr. Cairns believes his experience bringing many voices to the table will help him be successful in this new position.
The Department of Surgery would like to congratulate Dr. Cairns on this prestigious position.