The search for the new dean of the College of Arts and Sciences continued with presentation and interviews of candidate Ana Mari Cauce, executive vice provost, yesterday at Kane Hall.

Cauce is the second of four finalist candidates to be reviewed by the Arts and Sciences dean search committee, headed by Matt O’Donnell, dean of engineering.

“I’ve been challenged, pushed, prodded — and I’ve challenged, pushed and prodded back,” Cauce said of the interviewing process, which spanned over a few days and culminated into a presentation open to the public.

As the potential new dean, Cauce hopes to share responsibilities with other members of the faculty.

“I think the job of leading a college lies not solely with the dean,” she said. “It’s a job very much shared with divisional deans, chairs and faculty. What the dean can do is look for ways to bring people together and build a shared vision and sense of agreement and priorities. A dean can motivate and cajole.”

Cauce wants to build a stronger and more cohesive identity at the UW.

“[We need to bring] a vision that is more than a college with many great departments, but a college where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts,” she said. “One of the important things I hope to do is lead us in an effort to find and forge that identity.”

David Zaret, former interim dean and executive associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University, was the first candidate to be interviewed, on Oct. 11.

“My visits and interviews were truly a pleasure,” he said. “I found the two-day visit to be endlessly interesting, and even fun, although I’ll admit to being a bit tired by the end. I was overwhelmed by the wonderful hospitality from everyone on the search committee.”

Zaret hopes to bring excitement and vigor to his role as dean.

“With regard to what I can bring to UW: passion and energy for advancing teaching, research and creative activity in the context of a very large liberal arts college at one of this nation’s premier public universities,” he said.

The other two candidates are John Frederick, whose public presentation is scheduled for Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. in 102 Johnson Hall, and James Parente Jr., who will present Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. in Kane 110.

Frederick is a senior fellow with the National Association of State Universities & Land Grant Colleges and former provost of the University of Nevada, while Parente is an interim and former associate dean for faculty and research at the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota.

“I think they’re quite excited about the four finalists we have,” said Norm Arkans, media spokesperson for the UW, about the search committee.

The committee will send its recommendations to the provost and the president shortly after the last interviews.

“It’s been a long and busy day,” Cauce said about her first round of interviews. “It will be hard to sleep; its been so much fun.”

[Reach reporter Arla Shephard at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]