{"146431":{"#nid":"146431","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Houston to Conclude Tenure as College of Sciences Dean","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPaul Houston, dean of Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Sciences, will step down from his post on June 30, 2013. After leaving the dean\u2019s position, Houston plans to stay at Tech for a short period to continue his research in physical chemistry and to oversee his graduate students. He plans to retire in 2014. Houston came to Tech in 2007 to assume the dean position after being a professor of chemistry at Cornell University for 32 years.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cDean Houston has been an extraordinary leader of the sciences at Georgia Tech,\u0022 said Rafael L. Bras, provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs at Georgia Tech. \u201cHe has been an effective leader that leverages our strengths in the sciences and engineering via strategic partnerships and collaborations.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u2019m delighted and honored to have had the opportunity to lead Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Sciences,\u201d said Houston. \u201cWe have reached an unprecedented level in terms of research support, faculty talent and teaching achievement, so it is a good time to pass the baton to a new leader.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHouston said the interdisciplinary nature of the Institute is what drew him to Tech.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFor an Institute to be a place where people can both make new discoveries and build technology that makes use of those findings, there needs to be good communication between scientists and engineers. This seems to happen seamlessly at Georgia Tech,\u201d said Houston. \u201cI\u2019m proud to say I\u2019ve been a part of this spirit of collaboration for the past six years.\u201d\u2028\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince arriving, Houston has built up the biosciences, placing an emphasis on biophysics, biochemistry, math biology and molecular biology. In addition, he has been instrumental in expanding the areas of astrophysics and planetary sciences and has placed more emphasis on material sciences, like graphene.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHouston also has improved the education of undergraduates in the sciences at Tech. During his term, the number of science students increased, particularly in the new biochemistry major, and they have been increasingly recognized by outside honors and fellowships. In addition, he both emphasized and rewarded faculty teaching and mentoring.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis summer, he introduced two new positions to the college to focus on undergraduate education. Jennifer Leavey, a new senior academic professional, will bring an interdisciplinary focus to the freshman and sophomore science labs; Director of Diversity Keith Oden, will encourage students to take advantage of research opportunities with faculty.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech has engaged a higher education search firm, R. William Funk \u0026amp; Associates, to provide support in conducting an international search for a new dean.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EPaul Houston, dean of Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Sciences since 2007, will step down from his post on June 30, 2013. After leaving the dean\u2019s position, Houston plans to stay at Tech for a short period to continue his research in physical chemistry and oversee his graduate students. He plans to retire in 2014.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Paul Houston, dean of Georgia Tech\u2019s College of Sciences, will step down from his post on June 30, 2013."}],"uid":"27713","created_gmt":"2012-08-15 14:03:18","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:12:40","author":"Victor Rogers","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2012-08-15T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2012-08-15T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"146421":{"id":"146421","type":"image","title":"Paul Houston","body":null,"created":"1449178751","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:39:11","changed":"1475894779","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:46:19","alt":"Paul Houston","file":{"fid":"195084","name":"houston.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/houston.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/houston.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":100673,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/houston.jpeg?itok=motmyYPW"}}},"media_ids":["146421"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"2375","name":"houston"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EVictor Rogers\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOffice of the Provost\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E404-894-6398\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["victor.rogers@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}