University President John J. DeGioia has named McDonough School of Business marketing professor Robert Thomas as the interim dean of the School for Summer and Continuing Education. Thomas replaces ichael Collins, who, after serving as dean for over 22 years, will return to teach full time in Georgetown’s Department of English this fall.

Thomas, who holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania, joined the McDonough School of Business faculty in 1982. He served as associate dean of Graduate Business at Georgetown from 1987 to 1990. While a professor at Georgetown, he has taught courses in new product development, marketing management and marketing research. In addition to his new role as dean, Thomas will maintain his duties as the executive director of the Georgetown Center for Professional Development and Innovation.

As the dean of the School for Summer and Continuing Education, Thomas will be responsible for coordinating and planning initiatives for lifelong learning on Georgetown’s main campus, as directed by DeGioia and University Provost James J. O’Donnell.

“I look forward to helping the university achieve its objectives and its mission with this new position,” Thomas said.

Collins was known for emphasizing his strong convictions about the value of lifelong explorations of questions that intrigue men and women, according to Continuing Education Program Director Deborah Ross Warin.