January 5, 2001

Columbia U. Finds Chairman for Divided English Dept.; Molecular-Biology Pioneer 'Retires' to New Post; Stanford Splits Medical-Center Deanship

By SCOTT HELLER, ROBING WILSON, and KATHERINE S. MANGAN

After delaying the decision once, Jonathan Arac of the University of Pittsburgh has agreed to take over as chairman of Columbia University's deeply divided English department. Columbia wanted to hire the professor last summer, but they couldn't agree on terms.

Assuming the chairmanship next July will mark a return for Mr. Arac, who taught at Columbia from 1987 to 1989 but left for Pitt when he and his wife,