CEDAR CITY— Southern Utah University announced that after an extensive national search, Dr. Frank R. Hall has been chosen to serve as the new dean of the Walter Maxwell Gibson College of Science and Engineering.
Hall will oversee the agriculture, nutrition science, biology, computer science, information systems, engineering, engineering technology, mathematics, nursing and physical science programs.
“I am very excited for Dr. Hall to join us at SUU,” Jean Boreen, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and hiring committee chair, said in a statement from the university. “I look forward to working together on interdisciplinary projects.”
Hall has more than two decades of experience in administration and service at the university level. His past academic appointments included dean of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at Saginaw Valley State University; full professor and dean of the School of Education, Health and Natural Science at Worcester State University; faculty positions at the University of New Orleans and University of Delaware; and a Ford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Colorado.
He completed his doctorate in geological oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. He also holds a master’s degree in geology from Lehigh University and a bachelor’s degree in earth science from Kean University.
Hall’s scholarship has focused on science and science education and the intersections between science and society. He is a member of the United Nations World Oceans Assessment Program and is part of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences. Hall has also worked as a contractor with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, was a staff officer for the National Academy of Science and served as a program manager with the National Science Foundation.
“When I interviewed at Southern Utah University, I was impressed by their student-centered approach to education and dedication to hands-on opportunities for students, preparing them for life after graduation,” Hall said in the statement. “I am honored to be joining the SUU community.”
Throughout his career, Hall has been dedicated to improving diversity, inclusion and access to underrepresented and underserved students. He was nominated as an Outstanding African-American in STEM for the Black Engineers of the Year Awards in 2014.
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