CSE announces three new associate deans
Long-time faculty bring wealth of experience and knowledge to new roles
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (07/05/2023) — University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering Dean Andrew Alleyne recently appointed three new associate deans who will begin their duties in July 2023. All three are well-known across the college and have been admired for their leadership and dedication to students.
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs
Professor David Blank, who most recently served as Head of the Department of Chemistry since 2017, has been appointed as the new Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs for a three-year term. Blank has been a faculty member at the University of Minnesota since 2000. He served as Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Chemistry for seven years and an undergraduate faculty advisor for 10 years. He is also a graduate faculty member in the interdisciplinary Chemical Physics graduate program.
Blank is a Distinguished University Teaching Professor and Mr. and Mrs. George W. Taylor Distinguished Professor. He has received numerous awards for his commitment to students, including the Horace T. Morse Alumni Award for Undergraduate Education and the Charles E. Bowers Faculty Teaching Award. He is one of the founding members of Energy and U, a successful K-12 outreach program aimed at getting elementary school students excited about science and engineering. Blank played a key role in securing legislative funding for the renovation of Fraser Hall as the new Chemistry Undergraduate Teaching Facility that will improve undergraduate education across the University.
In addition to teaching and outreach, Blank is a renowned researcher in the areas of experimental physical chemistry, nanoscience and materials chemistry, chemical physics, and energy and catalysis. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley.
As associate dean, Blank will be responsible for overseeing initiatives that support and enhance the educational experience for more than 6,000 undergraduate students within the college. Outgoing Associate Dean Paul Strykowski, who has served in the role for 16 years, will return to teaching and research in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Professor Beth Stadler, who most recently served as Associate Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering since 2018, has been appointed as the new Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for a three-year term. Stadler has been a faculty member at the University of Minnesota since 2001 and served as an adjunct professor from 1997-2001. She also holds graduate faculty appointments in the University of Minnesota Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.
Stadler holds the Erwin A. Kelen Professorship in Electrical Engineering. She has served in numerous service roles in the department, college and University, including the ECE Faculty Recruiting Committee member, CSE Teaching Fellow, and University Faculty Senate member. She has received many awards, including the Materials Research Society Fellowship, McKnight Presidential Fellowship, and the George W. Taylor Award for distinguished service.
Stadler’s research focuses primarily on the integration of magnetic and optical materials to allow the development of practical devices and systems that could be used in a variety of applications from hard drives to cancer therapy. Stadler received her bachelor’s degree from Case Western Reserve University and her Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
As associate dean, Stadler will be responsible for programs supporting the recruitment and retention of more than 430 faculty within the college, including promotion and tenure, awards, sabbaticals, and more. Outgoing Associate Dean Ellen Longmire, who served in the role for the last five years, will return to teaching and research in the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics.
Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Programs
Professor Victor Barocas, a faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering, has been appointed as the new Interim Associate Dean for Graduate Programs for a one-year term. Barocas has been a faculty member at the University of Minnesota since 2000.
Barocas has a long commitment to graduate education, having served as a Director of Graduate Studies for a total of 15 years. He also has chaired the Department of Biomedical Engineering Graduate Admissions Committee and the Graduate Curriculum Review Committee. Over the last year, Barocas has served as a Dean’s Fellow in the college focused on development opportunities for new CSE faculty.
Barocas has received numerous awards, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Robert M. Nerem Medal for Education and Mentorship, the Horace T. Morse Alumni Award for Outstanding Contributions to Graduate and Professional Education, and the CSE Distinguished Professorship. He has been named a fellow of both the Biomedical Engineering Society and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
His research focuses on tissue engineering and architecture for possible applications in a wide variety of areas including the study of aneurysms and spinal injury. Barocas received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Minnesota.
Previously, graduate programs were under the direction of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Last summer, a “Rightsizing of the College” task force recommended that a new position be created to focus on capitalizing on opportunities for improving graduate education within our college. Since this is a new role, Barocas’ initial appointment will be an interim, one-year appointment as he works across the college to build out the best ways to support our more than 2,700 graduate students and postdoctoral researchers and maximize their successes.
The three new associate deans join current CSE Associate Dean for Research Joe Konstan as part of the Dean’s Leadership team.