USU Names New Dean of College of Science
Maura E. Hagan has been named dean of USU's College of Science. She begins her duties Sept. 1.
Utah State University has selected Maura E. Hagan of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colo., as the new dean of the College of Science.
Hagan replaces interim College of Science dean and professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Lisa Berreau, who took over the helm from retiring Dean Jim MacMahon in July 2014.
“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Hagan to USU as she brings a skillset that will help lead the College of Science in the coming years,” said USU Vice President and Provost Noelle Cockett. “Her leadership and management style are approachable and lends to collaboration across all departments in the college, as well as with various colleges and research division across campus. And her strengths as a scientist and researcher will help promote the scholarly research and innovation of College of Science faculty and enhance opportunities for students to gain hands-on research experiences as part of their degree programs.”
In her new role, Hagan said she will work collaboratively with college leadership to foster student success, promote ongoing faculty development, maintain a culture of educational assessment and improvement and ensure consistency of science programs and instruction throughout all USU locations and teaching centers.
“I hope to further develop and execute a portfolio of trans-disciplinary education and research that engages a diverse, next-generation workforce and serves the needs of our 21st century society,” Hagan said.
As the new voice for the College of Science, Hagan plans to work closely with the external community, including government agencies and industry, to seek opportunities for research funding and collaborative partnerships. She plans to pay particular attention to partnerships with NASA Centers and space industry, working with the leadership of the Utah and Rocky Mountain Space Grant Consortia to ensure USU’s continuing success of space-related education experiences.
Hagan leaves her post at NCAR where she mostly recently served as interim director since 2013. Prior to that, she was deputy director at the same organization. Hagan began her career at NCAR in 1992 when she was appointed as an entry-level scientist in the High Altitude Observatory (HAO). She was promoted to senior scientist, the NCAR equivalent of a full professor university appointment, in 2003.
Hagan’s personal research interests are focused on the downward penetration of space weather effects in the Earth’s atmosphere, as well as the impact of meteorological weather on the near-Earth space environment. And, although NCAR is not a degree-granting institution, Hagan has a great interest in working with students and has served as an adjunct professor/thesis committee member on more than 10 graduate dissertations. She has also mentored NCAR undergraduate and graduate student visitors on a regular basis.
“Dr. Hagan is a very highly regarded scientist, who is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society,” said Christine Hailey, dean of USU’s College of Engineering and chair of the search committee. “Her service as deputy director of NCAR gives her a vast resume of strengths, including experience working with state legislators. The search committee found her to be a willing listener who asked good questions.”
As the first female to matriculate through the scientist ranks at HAO, Hagan also is aware of what it’s like to be an underrepresented minority in the scientific workplace and has proactively worked on inclusion and diversity efforts throughout her professional career. She was instrumental in bringing the American Physical Society Committee on the Status of Women in Physics to NCAR to assess the workplace climate environment for the female staff. She also served on the inaugural Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric and Related Sciences steering committee from 1996 and 2001 to engage an ethnically diverse population in the mission of the Sun and Earth system science discovery.
“As I begin my appointment at USU I plan to carry over my work to address work-life balance issues, which remain a challenge for both our male and female workforce,” Hagan said.
Hagan earned a doctorate in physics from the Boston College in 1987 and a bachelor’s in physics from Emmanuel College in Boston in 1975.
Of coming to USU, Hagan said she was drawn to the position because of the renowned educational, scientific and technical mission of the university.
USU’s College of Science includes the academic departments of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Geology, Mathematics and Statistics and Physics.
Current Interim Dean Berreau stepped into the dean’s post after nearly nine years as associate dean. A professor of inorganic chemistry, Berreau was an NSF CAREER Fellowship Recipient and a Herman Frasch Foundation Fellow. In 2006, she was named Undergraduate Research Mentor of the Year for the College of Science.
Berreau will continue to serve the College of Science in her role as associate dean. Hagan said she welcomes the opportunity to work closely with Berreau during the leadership transition.
Hagan’s official start date is Sept. 1, 2015.
More information about USU’s College of Science can be found at its website.
Contact: Noelle Cockett, 435-797- 1167, noelle.cockett@usu.edu
Writer: Maren Aller, 435-797-1355, maren.aller@usu.edu
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