Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 also said that Pilbeam had special fund raising skills.
"[Pilbeam] has worked a lot with the outside community in terms of explaining the need for supporting undergraduate education," Hewett said.
"I think the challenge is going to be to find someone with the same energy in continuing the initiatives that David Pilbeam has started," Jewett said.
Pilbeam, who is also Ford professor of anthropology, will return full-time to that department the fall.
His five-year tenure, he said yesterday, was longer than he expected.
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"I would have preferred to step down a year ago but I stayed on at Dean Knowles's request and I'm glad I did," Pilbeam said