Dean Diane Reich Announces New Associate Deans Shayla Bott and Mark Callister
On July 1, Dr. Diane Reich began her tenure as Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications. Dean Reich then named two new associate deans for the college.
Effective July 1, 2025, Shayla Bott and Mark Callister will join the college deanery as Associate Deans. Eric Gillett will continue as Associate Dean with the special assignment of overseeing the completion of the Arts Building.
Bott has been serving as the Chair of the Department of Dance and will now serve as the Associate Dean of Faculty. Bott holds a BFA in ballet performance from the University of Utah and an MFA in ballet with a focus on music, choreography and pedagogy. Bott retired from a professional career with Utah Metropolitan Ballet and has continued to choreograph and teach in professional and academic venues specializing in ballet.
Callister is currently the Director of the School of Communications and was named Associate Dean of Students. He received a Ph.D. in communications from the University of Arizona (1997), an MBA from BYU (1991), and B.A.s in English and international relations from BYU (1988). As a specialist in theories of persuasion and team work, he has consulted for Commonwealth Edison, Caterpillar, the Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs, Roquette-America and the Institute for Applied Criminal Justice, among others.
“I am very excited about the knowledge, skills, talents, and commitment to the university and college that this team brings and am grateful for their willingness to serve in this capacity,” Dean Reich said.
Along with this announcement, Dean Reich expressed her appreciation for the outgoing deanery: “Their work on behalf of our faculty and programs, and support for all the college units, has yielded positive outcomes and set the college on a trajectory to continue to fulfill prophetic charges. We cannot express enough how much we appreciate a decade of hard work and service.” She also thanked Rory Scanlon and Eric Gillett for their efforts to magnify the college and build a monumental legacy.
“I believe I can speak for Shayla, Mark and Eric when I express gratitude for this trust and excitement for the opportunity to get to know more of our stellar CFAC colleagues and programs,” Dean Reich continued. “We know you do amazing things and look forward to working alongside you.”
Announcements regarding a new chair for the Department of Dance and directors of the Schools of Communications and Music are forthcoming.