Finalists for Fredrick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science to make on-campus presentations

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Six finalists for the Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science position will be on Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus for interviews and public presentations in July, search advisory committee chair Richard Kuhn has announced.

Kuhn, the Trent and Judith Anderson Distinguished Professor in Science and Krenicki Family Director of the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease, said as part of the process, finalists will make a public 30-minute vision presentation and then take audience questions. 

“We look forward to these excellent candidates, identified by our committee, sharing their vision for the College of Science with our many interested stakeholders,” Kuhn said. “We aim to make our recommendations to the provost once finalist visits are complete.”

Feedback on the candidates is requested; the search website candidates page contains an online tool for providing feedback. In addition, the full curriculum vitae for each candidate can be found on the site.

Purdue’s next dean of the College of Science will succeed Patrick Wolfe, who stepped down in January to take on the position of provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity. Jean Chmielewski, the Alice Watson Kramer Distinguished Professor – Organic Chemistry/Chemical Biology, is serving as interim dean. 

Finalists and their presentation dates are as follows:

* Theodore Goodson III, the Richard Barry Bernstein Collegiate Professor of Chemistry and Macromolecular Science and Engineering, University of Michigan. Presentation will begin at 9:45 a.m. July 10 in Lawson Computer Science Building, Room 1142.                                                                                            

* Russell Schwartz, professor and head of the Computational Biology Department, Carnegie Mellon University. Presentation will begin at 9:45 a.m. July 14 in Lawson Computer Science Building, Room 1142.                                                                                          

* Lucy Flesch, senior associate dean for faculty affairs in the College of Science and professor of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, Purdue University. Presentation will begin at 9:45 a.m. July 17 in Lawson Computer Science Building, Room 1142.

* Eunice Santos, professor and dean of the School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Presentation will begin at 9:45 a.m. July 21 in Lawson Computer Science Building, Room 1142.

* Gabriel Aeppli, deputy laboratory director and head of Photon Science Division, Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland. Presentation will begin at 9:45 a.m. July 24 in Lawson Computer Science Building, Room 1142.                                                

* David Gerdes, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Physics and department chair, professor of astronomy, University of Michigan. Presentation will begin at 9:45 a.m. July 26 in Lawson Computer Science Building, Room 1142.  

Writer: Tom Schott, tschott@purdue.edu