May 3, 2016: Our Next Dean of the College of Engineering

Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues,

I am delighted to inform you that our search for Bucknell University's next Dean of Engineering has reached a successful conclusion. Please join me in welcoming Patrick T. Mather to the Bucknell community.

Pat holds his doctorate in materials engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He comes to us from Syracuse University, where he led the creation of and serves as the founding director of the Syracuse Biomaterials Institute, an interdisciplinary center with more than 20 faculty spanning three institutions and eight departments, including Syracuse's L.C. Smith College of Engineering & Computer Science and its College of Arts & Sciences. Pat is also the Milton & Ann Stevenson Professor of Biomedical & Chemical Engineering and previously held the position of faculty chair of Syracuse's engineering college.

Prior to Syracuse, Pat was a tenured faculty member at both the University of Connecticut and Case Western Reserve University. He's written more than 145 peer-reviewed papers, is an inventor on more than 35 patents, and is a Fellow of both the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the Society of Plastics Engineering. He has directed over 100 undergraduate thesis projects; his passion and vision for engineering education in an undergraduate-focused, interdisciplinary setting helped distinguish him from a very competitive field of candidates. Pat will officially join Bucknell on July 1. For more on his impressive academic and professional accomplishments, you may view his curriculum vitae.

I greatly appreciate the work of our many colleagues who assisted in this process, and thanks go in particular to the members of the search committee for their commitment to reaching this very successful outcome.

I also want to extend my deep gratitude to Keith Buffinton for his service to the College of Engineering, and to the greater Bucknell community. Keith is a dedicated advocate for our mission of educating individuals for a lifetime of critical thinking and strong leadership. I look forward to having him back as a member of our faculty after a much-deserved sabbatical. In the days ahead, you will receive an invitation to a reception formally honoring Keith and his many contributions to the University.

My best as we approach the end of the academic year,

John