By Peg Williams

Scranton, Pa., has given Friends University a few valuable assets: the hit TV show “The Office” and James Gearity, the new dean of the College of Business, Arts, Science and Education.

While Gearity may be the new CBASE dean, seeing his face around campus shouldn’t be a shock. He is returning to Friends for a second year, but this time with a new job title.

“I feel great about it. I’ve enjoyed being at Friends, and I was honored that the folks would ask me to stay another year,” Gearity said.

Gearity calls Scranton his home. He retired there after working in the education field. His job titles over the years have included professor, dean, provost, president and commissioner of higher education in Pennsylvania.

Friends asked him to come out of retirement to be the temporary dean of the Graduate School. Last year, a search was done to find his replacement, and Evelyn Hume was hired.

The university also planned to hire a dean for the College of Business, Arts, Science and Education, but the search was to no avail. Gearity was asked to fill the position and stay at Friends another year.

He accepted and is happy to be spending an additional year in Wichita.

“I most enjoy the people I’m meeting at Friends. They are friendly and sincere about what they are doing here,” Gearity said.

While in Wichita, he enjoys spending time at the science and art museum and, like many of his students, Old Town. Although he is enjoying his experience in Kansas, he misses his home, family, friends and the opportunity to visit his son, who lives in New York City. He also has a daughter and two grandchildren. But when his time runs out here, he will be sad to go.

“I will certainly miss Friends,” Gearity said. “It has been very gratifying for me to have been welcomed here and to feel I have been able to make a contribution to this fine university.”