College of Science and Engineering Dean

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students,

I am very pleased to announce that Amit Shukla, PhD, has been appointed the next Dean of the College of Science and Engineering. Dr. Shukla is currently Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Miami University (Oxford, OH). He will join Seattle University on July 1.

Dr. Shukla’s career as an academic and administrator has been marked by a commitment to innovation, transparency, collaboration and inclusion. For two decades, he has served in various leadership roles at Miami University, with progressively increasing responsibility. He has extensive experience in supporting student success and faculty development, fostering multidisciplinary teaching and research, fundraising, engaging with alumni and forging mutually enriching partnerships with industry.

Before being named chair in 2018, Dr. Shukla was the founding director of the Miami University Center for Assistive Technology, which identifies socially relevant problems and develops engineering solutions by engaging students in interdisciplinary research. He has served and chaired a number of university committees, providing leadership in such areas as budget planning, college affordability and faculty development. Among other awards and recognitions for his teaching, research and leadership, Dr. Shukla received Miami University’s Inclusive Excellence Award in 2021.

He asked that I share the following with you:

“I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to serve as the Dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Seattle University. SU is a remarkable and unique institution with a rich history of transformational teaching and education. SU’s CSE community has exceptional faculty and staff who are truly focused on student success. The students are engaged and well-rounded. CSE is supported by outstanding alumni and external partners.

“I am looking forward to collaborating with the entire SU and CSE community to develop a model for transformative and multidisciplinary STEM education. SU is an ideal place, with its mission to educate the whole person and empower leaders for a just and humane world, to create an innovative and creative STEM education and research paradigm supported by local industry partners.”

President Peñalver shared this about Dr. Shukla:

“Amit’s collaborative leadership style, combined with his focus on academic excellence, the student experience and community engagement, make him the right choice for Seattle University’s College of Science and Engineering. His demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and to research that is both rigorous and relevant are a perfect fit for our Jesuit-inspired ambition to train leaders capable of grappling with the complex challenges our society is facing, from climate change to accelerating technological transformation. I congratulate Provost Martin and the Search Committee for bringing this search to such a successful conclusion.”

I want to add my thanks to the Search Committee, whose members are listed below, for their excellent work in leading a successful process. Let me also reiterate my gratitude for Dean Michael Quinn and the tremendous leadership he has provided to the College of Science and Engineering over many years. We look forward to wishing him well sometime closer to the conclusion of his deanship. In the meantime, please join with me in warmly welcoming to our academic community Dr. Amit Shukla.

Sincerely,

Shane P. Martin, PhD
Provost

College of Science and Engineering Dean Search Committee

• Joseph Phillips, Co-Chair, Dean, Albers School of Business and Economics
• Allison Henrich, Co-Chair, Professor, Mathematics
• Eva Alleman, Student Representative, Class of 2022
• Kathy Cook, Department Chair, Professor, Psychology
• Ana Carolina De Souza Mendes, Student Representative, Class of 2024
• Robin Evans, Manager of Budget and Operations, College of Science and Engineering
• Gary Fernandes, Laboratory Manager, Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Michelle Finet, Senior Director of Development, College of Science and Engineering
• Lyn Gualtieri, Director, Senior Instructor, Environmental Science
• Kristin Hultgren, Assistant Professor, Biology
• Andy Kim, Department Chair, Professor, Physics
• Lin Li, Associate Professor, Computer Science
• Yen-Lin Han, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
• Jenny Loertscher, Professor, Chemistry
• Reid Nabarrete, Assistant Chief Engineer, Operations, Kenworth Div. of PACCAR
• Mary Petersen, Vice President and University Counsel
• Mehmet Vurkaç, Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Ana White, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, F5