Dear friends and alumni of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business at Missouri S&T,

It was a pleasure to see so many of you during the various events associated with the 109th “Best Ever” St. Pat’s celebration.

Springtime is also when the university reaches its annual crescendo in terms of student and faculty recruiting. The sidewalks are filled with student ambassadors leading groups of prospective Miners and their families on campus tours, and with smartly dressed faculty candidates being escorted to their next meeting in their busy interview schedules. The college continues to grow in terms of students and faculty, both of which we anticipate reaching all-time high levels when we begin the fall 2017 semester. Such growth reflects Missouri S&T’s reputation for providing tremendous opportunities for scholarship and professional development, and the dedication of the entire campus community to creating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere.

Leadership transitions

Leadership transitions in the University of Missouri System and at Missouri S&T have also been in the news this month. Dr. Mun Choi assumed the office of president of the UM System on March 1. Dr. Choi previously served as dean of engineering and provost at the University of Connecticut. Just days later it was announced that Dr. Cheryl B. Schrader, our chancellor, would become the next president of Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Dr. Schrader will assume her new position on July 1. Highlights of S&T’s accomplishments during Dr. Schrader’s leadership over the past five years include the development of a strategic plan calling for the hiring of 100 new faculty members by 2020; the designation of university wide signature areas to strengthen research and education in fields where S&T is considered among the nation’s best; the restructuring of S&T’s 19 academic departments into the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business and the College of Engineering and Computing; and major capital improvements, including the comprehensive, multiphase renovation of Schrenk Hall, which houses the biological sciences and chemistry departments. We wish Drs. Choi and Schrader the very best of luck in their new appointments, and look forward to working with Dr. Choi and all of S&T’s stakeholders in charting the university’s future under new leadership.

Dean's Leadership Fund 

Students are benefiting greatly from opportunities supported by the newly established Dean’s Leadership Fund, which supports scholarship and professional development within the college. The fund has existed for only a year, but in that short time it has grown quickly and supported a variety of projects including a graduate student professional development symposium; student attendance at national conferences in economics, medicine and space exploration; a colloquium series in the psychological science department; the annual S&T student art exhibit; and the publication of Southwinds, the literary and arts magazine published by the English and technical communication department. We are extremely grateful for the generosity of donors to the fund and look forward to sharing more news about how support from the fund creates important opportunities for experiential learning in the college.

Faculty achievements

Faculty within the college continue to reach achievements and receive accolades that reflect their prominent standing on the global stage. This spring, Dr. Thomas Vojta, professor in the physics department, was named Curators’ Distinguished Professor, while Dr. Dave Westenberg, associate professor and interim chair of the biological sciences department, received the Academy of Science of St. Louis’ Science Educator Award. Dr. Fiona Nah, professor in the business and information technology department, was recently named among a handful of “top women to watch” in virtual reality by Girls in Tech, a global non-profit organization focused on the engagement, education, and empowerment of girls and women who are passionate about technology. Dr. Shannon Fogg, professor and chair of the history and political science department, had her latest book, Stealing Home: Looting, Restitution, and Reconstructing Jewish Lives in France, 1942-1947, published by Oxford University Press. Finally, Dr. Jay Switzer, Donald L. Castleman/FCR Endowed Professor of Discovery in the chemistry department, and his team of collaborators, including several S&T students, as well as a Rolla High School student, published a ground-breaking paper titled “Epitaxial lift-off of electrodeposited single-crystal gold foils for flexible electronics” in Science, which is one of the world’s most influential and widely read scientific journals.

I am honored and grateful to serve among the dedicated students, faculty, alumni, and friends responsible for the rapid growth and incredible success of the college and its exceptional programs, and I look forward to sharing many more accounts of achievement and accomplishment within the college as we progress into the next chapter of Missouri S&T’s storied history.

With warmest regards,

Stephen Roberts

Vice Provost and Dean

College of Arts, Sciences, and Business