Chapman University announces Dr. Andrew Lyon as new dean for Schmid College of Science and Technology
January 27, 2014
Dr. Andrew Lyon, new dean of Schmid College of Science and Technology
Chapman University has appointed Dr. Andrew Lyon the new dean of the Schmid College of Science and Technology. Coming to Chapman from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Lyon begins his tenure as the third dean of the Schmid School on July 1, 2014. He replaces Dr. Janeen Hill, who has served as dean for the last two years, and who will leave the Schmid College to take the leadership of the newly established Crean College of Health Sciences, as its Founding Dean.
“Chapman University is extraordinarily fortunate to have Andrew lead our continued growth in the sciences,” said Chancellor Daniele Struppa. “His interest in being part of the Chapman family illustrates our rising national presence, and suggests exciting new opportunities for the Schmid School.”
Dr. Lyon received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Northwestern University in 1996, and after a postdoctoral stint at Penn State University, he joined the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he is currently the Chair of the School of Chemistry and Biochemistry. In this capacity, he works with 40 faculty, and is responsible for more than 300 undergraduate students, 240 graduate students, and more than 100 postdoctoral scholars and research scientists.
“Due to its aggressive pursuit of excellence and its entrepreneurial spirit, Chapman is in a unique and extremely advantageous position in the world of higher education,” said Dr. Lyon. “I hope to leverage that position in helping the Schmid College faculty to create an internationally recognized destination for science education and research.”
Lyon is no stranger to Orange County. Since 2009 he has served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Council for the Beckman Foundation, where he now chairs the Beckman Young Investigator Executive Board.
This dean appointment follows in the steps of other major announcements from Chapman in the past year dedicated to growth in science. In addition to purchasing new facilities in Irvine now known as the Rinker campus, Chapman is currently raising funds to build the new Center for Science and Technology on its Orange campus. Chapman has also recently announced the development of a new school of Pharmacy and a Physician’s Assistant Program – both of which are slated to begin admitting students in fall of 2015 and will be housed in the Rinker campus; as will Chapman’s existing physical therapy program – one of the oldest in California.
Consistently ranked among the top universities in the West, Chapman University provides a uniquely personalized and interdisciplinary educational experience to highly qualified students. Our programs encourage innovation, creativity and collaboration, and focus on developing global citizen-leaders who are distinctively prepared to improve their community and their world. Visit www.chapman.edu.
Chapman offers 11 undergraduate degree programs, eight graduate degree programs and one Ph.D. degree in both basic and applied sciences in the Schmid College of Science and Technology. The undergraduate programs include biochemistry and molecular biology, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, computer information systems, environmental science and policy, health sciences, math, physics, psychology, and software engineering. The graduate programs include food science, physical therapy, marriage & family therapy, and computational science, which has both an MS and PhD degree program offering. The school also includes three Centers of Excellence in: Earth Systems Modeling and Observation; Computation, Algebra and Topology; and Complex and Hyper Complex Analysis.
