Former Dean of Advising and Academic Success Alex Vasquez was recently hired as Dean of Students at Amherst College.

Many students and staff members admired Dean Vasquez not only for what he did professionally, but for how he helped students and worked with staff.

Questions have been raised as to who will replace Vasquez. Wheaton is currently searching for applicants, as Associate Provost Shawn Christian is helping to conduct the search for the new dean of academic advising and success, the position vacated by Vasquez. According to the Provost’s office, there are about 70 applications that the search committee will discuss. Once this list is narrowed down to two or three candidates, the committee will collaborate with Provost Linda Eisenmann on a decision.

Wheaton has become  increasingly familiar with the idea of search committees, as the campus has undergone a number of faculty changes in the past calendar year.

Eisenmann oversees Academic Advising, a department in which Vasquez played an instrumentalrole. The decision of choosing the new dean seems to be one of Eisenmann’s main priorities. “Our goal is to find someone before the end of the semester,” she said.

Until the search committee finds a replacement, Vasquez’s portfolio is being divided by the current advising staff, with Christian overseeing the overall work of the center.

Replacing Vasquez will not be easy. Having worked at Wheaton for 12 years, Vasquez was extremely popular among the student population, developing strong relationships with a number of students. Additionally, he left an impression on his peers and colleagues among the faculty and staff.

“I loved working with him, he was a great man and he was a very good role model for the student body,” Eisenmann said.

In addition to his new position at Amherst, Vasquez will continue as a doctoral candidate at Boston College.