John
A. Pelesko, who has served as interim dean of the University of
Delaware College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) since September 2018, will
assume that role permanently, effective July 1, UD President Dennis
Assanis and Provost Robin Morgan announced today.
During the course of the past year, Dr. Pelesko has hit the ground
running as our interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences,
Assanis said. His strategic vision and analytical approach, coupled
with his creative thinking and inspiring commitment to education are
great assets to the college. John is a leader who can build consensus
with a thoughtful approach and a passionate focus in this permanent
role. I look forward to continue working with John and Robin Morgan to
build on excellence and drive our College of Arts and Sciences to new
heights.
John Pelesko has demonstrated a commitment to shared and thoughtful
leadership, which the college has embraced during his role as interim
dean, Morgan said. Overwhelmingly, his colleagues expressed
appreciation for his vision, collaboration and communication style, as
well as his commitment to all aspects of the broad portfolio and the
missions of CAS. I look forward to the continued opportunity to work
with him as we advance CAS and UD.
With positive feedback on Peleskos performance in the interim
role, Morgan held a monthlong series of meetings and
communications with key stakeholders across the University to consider
appointing him to the permanent role without a search. Based on the
strong endorsement from CAS faculty and staff, and upon consultation
with the president and the concurrence of the Executive Committee of the
Board of Trustees, Peleskos appointment was approved.
It has been a tremendous pleasure to work with faculty, students
and staff across the college during the last year as interim dean,
Pelesko said. Im excited to continue the work weve begun and to
continue to work with Provost Morgan, President Assanis and all members
of our college and campus community, as we take the College of Arts and
Sciences to the next level.
Pelesko previously served as associate dean for the natural sciences
of the College of Arts and Sciences from 2016-18, after being interim
associate dean for a year. As the colleges associate dean, he had
oversight of six departments in the natural sciences -- mathematical
sciences; biological sciences; chemistry and biochemistry; physics and
astronomy; psychological and brain sciences; and linguistics and
cognitive science that are home to a third of the colleges
undergraduate majors and the majority of its graduate students, as well
as more than 160 faculty members.
Pelesko also was responsible for secondary teacher preparation in the
college, the Delaware Teachers Institute and educational programming
in UDs Harker Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory.
Chairperson of UDs Department of Mathematical Sciences from
September 2011 to January 2015, he was director of graduate studies in
the department from September 2009-11.
His University-wide service includes work with the Data Science
Initiative, the Honors Program Task Force and the General Education Task
Force. He served as president-elect and president of the colleges
Faculty Senate from 2008-10 and received the colleges Outstanding
Faculty Teaching Award in 2006.
Pelesko is the author of the highly regarded books Self Assembly: The Science of Things That Put Themselves Together, published in 2007, and Modeling MEMS and NEMS, published in 2002, as well as several book chapters and numerous research articles in scholarly journals.
A member of the UD faculty since 2002, he previously served on the
faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology and was a postdoctoral
scholar at the California Institute of Technology.
He earned his bachelors degree cum laude with distinction in pure
mathematics at the University of Massachusetts at Boston and his Ph.D.
in mathematical sciences at the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Pelesko succeeds George Watson, who returned to the UD faculty last year.
Article by Office of Communications and Marketing staff
Published June 24, 2019
