This spring was scheduled for election campaigns with the following dean election. But no other candidates were nominated, as is tradition for the positions as Dean and Vice Dean at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences at the University of Oslo (UiO).
So, starting next year, the Faculty will have its first female Dean. Kristensen is a professor of Pharmaceutics and has long been a part of the management of the Faculty. She has now been elected together with Bjørn Jamtveit, who is the Head of the research center Njord and who will take the position as Vice Dean. They have appointed sitting Vice Dean for Education Knut Mørken to join. The Faculty Board approved the dean election on May 5.
– I believe that in the role as Dean it is a great advantage to have solid experience in faculty management from the University. Especially at such a large faculty as ours, Kristensen has previously told Uniforum (only in Norwegian).
She is currently the Vice Dean of Research and has been on the sitting Dean Team for seven years, the first six as Vice Dean for Education. She is also the Dean's deputy and has served on most of the governing bodies at UiO.
– We would like to thank those who have supported our candidacy, both those who nominated us and others who have cheered us on, says Kristensen.
– The fact that we have been elected as a new management without a counter candidate is not optimal, but we still feel confident that we have broad support in the organization. Our election platform is posted on the Faculty website, and we look forward to having discussions on how we can best fulfill it when we meet again on campus. Our plan is to visit all the departments, so time will tell in what form we can make this happen. We look forward to returning to Blindern and will use the fall to prepare well to take over the management of the Faculty from the New Year.
Kristensen has not announced any dramatic course changes, but will build her platform on the Faculty's strategy of 2019: Knowledge development for a changing world. Science and technology towards 2030.
This article was first published at Titan.uio.no (only in Norwegian).