Carolyn F. Wall, associate dean in the College of Letters and Science at the University of California, Davis, has been appointed vice chancellor for student affairs, effective July 1. In her new post, Wall, 53, will be responsible for programs and services that contribute to the campus's learning environment and enhance the academic and personal development of students. "Carol brings extraordinary talents and experiences to this position, including nearly 30 years of academic, administrative and student-focused responsibilities," said Chancellor Larry N. Vanderhoef. "Her genuine concern and affection for students is palpable, and she understands so very well the broad educational context in which students study, learn and live. She is the perfect complement to the breadth and depth of leadership that already exists within the Office of Student Affairs." Wall succeeds Frank L. Rincon, who left last September for a similar post at California State University, San Bernardino. Associate Vice Chancellor Robert G. Franks has been acting vice chancellor since Rincon departed. An anthropologist and linguist, Wall joined UC Davis as a lecturer in 1968, served as an assistant professor from 1972 to 1977, associate professor from 1977 to 1988 and senior lecturer from 1988 to the present. She also served as a graduate adviser in the Department of Anthropology from 1972 to 1981 and as the department's acting chair in 1978; associate dean for student matters in the College of Letters and Science, 1985-91; faculty director of the Education Abroad Program, 1986-1992; acting chair of the Department of Spanish and Classics, 1990-92; and associate dean for undergraduate education, College of Letters and Science, 1991 to the present. She helped to create the general education and the freshman seminar programs, and initiated a residential academic advising program for first-year students and a "Finish in Four" program to help students graduate within four years. She has provided leadership in the review and improvement of undergraduate academic programs and has played a central role in enrollment planning and management. "My interest in the position was reinforced by the strength of the student affairs office, the very talented and energetic individuals in the organization, and the centrality of the contributions, current and potential, that Student Affairs makes to the educational enterprise," Wall said. "In addition to sustaining strength in traditional areas of endeavor, I believe we must focus our efforts on those areas most closely aligned with the academic mission of the campus. And I believe that Student Affairs must be a key player in the campus efforts to facilitate intersegmental cooperation, to enhance the reality as well as the visibility of our students' public service contributions, and to socialize the new faculty who will be hired in the years ahead." Wall was "absolutely my top choice," said Andrew D. Donnell, past president of the Associated Students of UC Davis and search committee member. "She's an outstanding individual, and I think she will really take Student Affairs to where it will set precedents for other schools to follow." Wall earned all three of her degrees from UC Davis: a bachelor's degree in anthropology and art history in 1963, a master's in anthropology in 1965, and a doctorate in anthropology in 1971. She is president of the Board of Trustees for the EXPLORIT! Science Center and served on the Steering Committee of the Science Alliance from 1991 to 1993.