Michael Hildreth, associate dean of research in the College of Science at the University of Notre Dame, will serve as interim dean of the College of Science beginning January 1, 2021. That day, Mary Ann McDowell, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, will begin serving as interim associate dean of research in the college.
Mary E. Galvin is stepping down from her position as the William K. Warren Foundation Dean of the College of Science on December 31, 2020 for health reasons. She has served since August 2015. An international search is being conducted to identify Galvin’s successor.
“I think the college has great momentum at the moment,” Hildreth said. “I look forward to continuing the projects we have underway, like the hiring initiatives, the Mary E. Galvin Science and Engineering Scholars Program, and the strategic planning process.”
Hildreth said that during the interim period, there will not be any major changes to the way he works to support faculty, staff, and students when compared with Galvin’s established direction. He said he will continue to support an environment of open communication, and will continue initiatives she started around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
McDowell, a former provost fellow and chair of the faculty advisory committee of the Eck Institute for Global Health, said she is humbled to be appointed to the interim position of associate dean, and is looking forward to working with faculty and the other deans.
“I hope to work with faculty to determine how best the college can support their research endeavors and leverage existing strengths on campus to enhance research collaborations,” she said. “I am excited to help keep the college moving forward during this transition.”
Hildreth is also interested in fostering those collaborations in his new role, guided by Marie Lynn Miranda, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost of the University.
“Having a new provost posing new ideas and asking for our input and collaboration has been very exciting,” he said. “We should be able to put the College in a great position for the new dean.”
Originally published by at science.nd.edu on December 02, 2020.