Claremont McKenna College is pleased to announce the appointment of David E. Hansen as the new dean of the Joint Science Department (JSD), a partnership between Claremont McKenna, Scripps, and Pitzer colleges. His appointment will begin July 1.
Hansen, identified from a national search, will serve as the inaugural Dean of the Joint Science Department. The search committee, chaired by CMC Dean of the Faculty Gregory Hess, and comprised of faculty members from the Joint Sciences departments, a scientist from Pomona College, and non-science faculty representatives from all three Joint Science colleges, identified Hansen as the top candidate from a "very talented and deep pool of applicants," Hess says.
"David embodied all the aspects that we were looking for: he's a terrific scientist, he understands the teacher-scholar model, he is passionate about undergraduate science education, and he definitely checks the leadership box," Hess said.
Hansen began his academic career at Amherst College in 1986 and currently serves as the Rachel and Michael Deutch Professor of Chemistry. His research focuses on the creation of artificial enzymes, and the majority of his lab's efforts have been directed toward the design of peptidases. His work has appeared, often with undergraduate co-authors, in journals such as Molecular Immunology, the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the Journal of Organic Chemistry, and the Journal of Chemical Education.
Hansen has taught courses in organic chemistry, introductory chemistry, and biochemistry and has collaborated with colleagues from the social sciences and humanities to teach first-year seminars.
"Housing biology, chemistry, and physics, the Joint Science Department is the embodiment of interdisciplinary science and the future of science education," Hansen commented. "JSD is poised to grow even stronger, and I am honored to have been chosen as its new dean." Hansen also noted that "another unique feature of the department is its connection to the humanities, economics, and government areas that are often neglected in the training of scientists and engineers."
Hansen received his Sc.B. from Brown University and his Ph.D. from Harvard University. He recently completed an eight-year appointment as a senior advisor for the Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation. In 1989, Hansen received a National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, and in 1991 a Camille and Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award.