Utah State University trustee professor and internationally renowned ecologist Jim MacMahon is returning as dean of the College of Science - a position he previously held at the university for nearly 11 years.

 

In making the announcement today [Friday, Sept. 18, 2009], USU Executive Vice President and Provost Raymond T. Coward praised MacMahon for his experience and expertise and said that he would help to position the college for future growth and even greater success.

 

“We are, indeed, fortunate to be able to identify from within the university a person of such academic stature and administrative experience as Dr. Jim MacMahon,” Coward said. “He was the preferred choice of the majority of his colleagues in the College of Science, and I believe he will be a stabilizing force during these challenging times. We are all extremely fortunate that Dr. MacMahon would agree to serve in this important leadership role.”

 

On Oct. 2, MacMahon will move into an office in the Eccles Science Learning Center, a facility, along with the adjoining Widtsoe Chemistry building, in which he played a central role in funding and designing.

 

“I am honored to be asked to serve as dean of Science for a university that has been my academic home for nearly 38 years,” MacMahon said. “I look forward to working with colleagues, old and new, as we continue the search for excellence in teaching, research and service that has become a hallmark of this college.”

 

MacMahon said that these are difficult times for higher education, but he admires the optimism that prevails at USU and the bright future it promises.

 

“I am fortunate to be associated with a cadre of scholars and administrators who believe we should seize opportunities to become ever better, despite the current economic climate,” he said. “My task is to find ways for the faculty and students to realize their personal goals while we all work to achieve university-wide objectives.”

 

USU President Stan L. Albrecht expressed his appreciation to MacMahon for his willingness to return to his former post on such short notice.

 

“Jim is one of our truly outstanding leaders and administrators,” Albrecht said. “During this critical period in the history of our university, I feel very confident in Dr. MacMahon’s ability to lead and steer this college to even greater heights.”

 

As dean, MacMahon succeeds Mary Hubbard, who was tapped by Coward to serve as vice provost for global engagement and lead the university’s initiative to expand international educational opportunities for USU students.

 

MacMahon joined USU in 1971 and has served the university in a variety of academic and administrative capacities. After heading the Biology Department from 1985-1989, he assumed the deanship of the College of Science until July 2000, when he was appointed vice president for university advancement. He was named a trustee professor in 2002.

 

“Jim MacMahon is widely respected throughout campus and around the world for his scientific achievements as well as his administrative abilities,” said Daryll DeWald, current head of USU’s Biology Department. “He has successfully led large initiatives at the university, national and international levels. He’s a renowned researcher, an outstanding teacher and a visionary leader, who demands high standards, yet instills confidence and is personable and humble.”

 

DeWald notes that MacMahon has mentored more than 70 graduate students, raised millions of dollars in research and development funding and published more than 100 widely cited research articles in peer-reviewed journals.

 

MacMahon, who has served as director of the USU Ecology Center since July 2005, chairs the board of directors of the National Ecological Observatory Network known as “NEON.” Once established, the massive network, funded by the National Science Foundation, will allow scientists to continuously monitor thousands of environmental measurements throughout the nation. NEON successfully completed its preliminary design review of construction plans by the NSF this summer and will undergo a final design review this fall.

 

MacMahon received his doctorate in biology in 1964 from the University of Notre Dame. He graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in zoology in 1960 from Michigan State University. He served as president of the Environmental Science and Research Foundation and director of the Research and Education Division of the Associated Western Universities.

 

In 1999, he was awarded the distinction of fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an honor extended to select members of the society. He was also president from 1997-98 of the Ecological Society of America, and in 2005 he received the society's Distinguished Service Citation.

 

MacMahon received the Distinguished Service Award from the Utah Academy of Art, Science and Letters in 1994. He was awarded the first Governor’s Medal for Excellence in Science and Technology in 1987. He won the Wynne Thorne Research Award in 1988, USU’s top research honor, and was named USU College of Science Professor of the Year in 1980. In 2002, MacMahon received USU’s Leone Leadership Award, the university’s top leadership honor, for his “endless efforts to organize, motivate, improvise, guide and solve problems.”

 

USU’s College of Science includes the academic departments of biology, chemistry and biochemistry, computer science, mathematics and statistics, geology and physics. More than 1,700 undergraduates and more than 300 master’s and doctoral students are currently enrolled in degree programs administered by the college. 

 

The college counts a Rhodes Scholar, 11 Goldwater Scholars and three Governor’s Scholars among its recent graduates and students, as well as recipients of the Carnegie Professor of the Year award and the Governor’s Medal for Science and Technology among its faculty and alumni. Four departments, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biology, Geology and Physics, have received the university’s Teaching Excellence Award in recent years.

 

The College of Science’s mentorship of pre-professional students ranks among the best in the nation, with medical, dental and graduate school acceptance rates for USU graduates exceeding national averages.

 

Writers: Mary-Ann Muffoletto, 435-797-3517, maryann.muffoletto@usu.edu

John DeVilbiss, 435-797-1358, john.devilbiss@usu.edu

Contacts: Dr. Jim A. MacMahon, 435-797-2555; jim.macmahon@usu.edu