New Associate Dean Of Faculty For Science
 Sean Decatur, Marilyn
Dawson Sarles, M.D. Professor of Life Sciences and Professor
of Chemistry, was named to the newly created position
of associate dean of faculty for science. “Sean will take
on an increasing role in ensuring our excellence in science and
mathematics and in helping us decide how to best allocate our resources,” said
Mount Holyoke dean of faculty Don O’Shea. The position, formerly
the director of the Science Center, will be a half-time position
filled by faculty members on a rotating basis.
"I’m excited about working closely with faculty, staff, and
departments on ways in which the College can support the curriculum
and research in the sciences. The construction of the Science Center
has created physical adjacency among the science departments, and
this allows for much closer cooperation,” Decatur said. “My
role is to facilitate that cooperation whenever possible.” Decatur
will oversee the allocation of resources, space, and budget as
they relate to the sciences, in addition to managing the Science
Center.
Completed in
2003, the College’s new $36 million Science
Center was designed to foster greater interaction among departments
and encourages collaborative research and innovative teaching
methods. The new facility offers adjacent labs and offices and
shared equipment
for students and faculty with overlapping research interests. “We
are now in a better position to take advantage of synergies,
whether it’s departments working together in summer research
programs, writing grant proposals for shared equipment, or experimenting
with new curricular activities,” Decatur said.
Crossing
the boundaries of biology, chemistry, and physics, Decatur’s
work looks at how chains of amino acids transform themselves
into three-dimensional proteins. Mishaps in that protein-folding
transformation
are linked to diseases such as mad cow and Alzheimer’s.
Decatur’s
research has been supported by over $1 million dollars in grants,
including a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. He is a
superb teacher at all levels of the chemistry curriculum and
is an innovator
in curriculum development for science and nonscience students
alike. His many initiatives include a series of talks on race
and science
and a course exploring ethical, social, and political questions
about such topics as bioengineered food and gene therapy.
View Sean Decatur's
Faculty Profile
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