In his free time, the new dean of the College of Sciences enjoys piloting an aircraft, swimming, golfing, motorcycling, cowboy-action shooting and playing drums.

Harold Ornes will replace Mary Anne Hanner, who retired in 2011, as the dean of the College of Sciences on July 1. 

Ornes has served as the dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Winona State University in Winona, Minn., since June 2008.

Winona State University has a population of about 9,000 students, and Ornes applied to Eastern because he said he was looking for a larger institution with new opportunities and challenges to help grow and sustain high quality, high-value degree programs.

Ornes became inspired to pursue a career in teaching science during a biology course in high school when his teacher asked Ornes to show him some local spots to catch snakes. 

“One or two weekends of riding the back roads of Missouri in a Lincoln hardtop and I was hooked,” he said.

He began piloting planes about 34 years ago and favors flying for cross-country business and pleasure trips and prefers using standard modern communication and navigation radios, he said. 

Ornes said he has flown aircraft with World War II radios, a paper map and binoculars to read town names on a water tower, but he prefers more modern aircraft with a moving map, a real-time weather GPS and an iPad.

“I haven’t had any ‘close-calls’ except for blowing a tire on one landing, and one time almost forgetting to lower the landing gear,” he said. 

When Ornes learned he received the dean position at Eastern, he said he was full of joy, excitement and fear. 

“On one hand, the multitude of detailed planning and logistics associated with moving is almost overwhelming, but on the other hand, planning and executing new ventures are things that I thrive on,” he said. 

President Bill Perry, who interviewed Ornes, said he thought he was experienced and expressed different beneficial ideas for advancing the College of Sciences. 

“I remember one observation he made was that the science faculty partake in many exciting activities and they could have the potential to gain more recognition nationally,” Perry said. 

Ornes said he has four main goals for the position.

“Using a metaphor of a relay race track event, my first goal is to approach my teammates and receive the ‘baton’ hand-off in a smooth and synchronized fashion so that our forward momentum is sustained,” Ornes said. 

Ornes said his next goal is to increase that momentum during his leg of the race through his administrative responsibilities. For his third goal, he will observe, listen, and learn about current conditions and initiatives and then help adjust or refine these conditions, he said. 

“My fourth goal is to develop new plans, identify next steps, and embark on new endeavors,” Ornes said. “The opportunities for the College of Sciences are almost without limits if we can focus on our core values and at the same time keep our peripheral vision on quick-moving targets that would fit EIU’s mission and values.”

Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-2812 or  [email protected].