S. Patrick Walton has been named associate dean for academic programs at the Michigan State University College of Engineering.
Walton is the C. Robert and Kathryn M. Weir Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science in the MSU College of Engineering.
As the first to hold this new leadership position, he will have college-level responsibility for academic program administration in partnership with college leadership. He will oversee Undergraduate Studies, Graduate Studies, Technology Engineering, and Applied Engineering Sciences and will do so in coordination with the college’s Inclusion and Diversity efforts.
He begins his new role on May 16, 2024.
Engineering Dean Leo Kempel said he is very pleased to have Walton join the college leadership team.
“Pat is a long-time and well-respected leader in the college. He recently has focused on analyzing engineering student persistence and success through the lens of motivation. We look forward to the advancements he will introduce and nurture in this important role,” Kempel added.
Walton received his bachelor's degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, followed by his master's and doctoral degrees from MIT, and a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford. His disciplinary research focuses on the development of novel technologies based upon nucleic acids.
He has been recognized for excellence in teaching and mentorship, receiving the College of Engineering Withrow Teaching Excellence Award, being named an MSU Lilly Foundation Teaching Fellow, being named MSU's Undergraduate Faculty Research Mentor of the Year, and being invited to attend the National Academy of Engineering Frontiers in Engineering Education Symposium.
Contact: Kelley Monterusso, Engineering Marketing and Communications, monteru3@msu.edu