Texas A&M physicist appointed dean of UBC Science

U.S. physicist Meigan Aronson will take on the leadership of the UBC Faculty of Science this fall.

Currently Dean of the Texas A&M College of Science, Aronson succeeds Simon M Peacock, who has served as Dean of Science at UBC since 2006. She will begin her five-year term between July 1 and September 1, 2018.

“Dr Aronson brings a strong commitment to research, teaching and learning,” said Andrew J Szeri, Provost and Vice-President Academic, in making the announcement.

"She's passionate about mentoring students and postdoctoral fellows, and has a deep commitment to diversity and improving the success of students and faculty. I look forward to working with her as she brings her strong commitment to teaching and learning, research excellence, and academic leadership to this role."

"I also wish to express my gratitude to Simon Peacock for his outstanding service to the university and excellent leadership of the Faculty during the past 12 years."

Aronson holds appointments in both the departments of Physics and Astronomy, and of Materials Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University. She started her professional research and teaching career at the University of Michigan as an assistant professor of physics, and also served as Associate Dean for Natural Sciences in the College of Literature, Science and Arts (2004-2006). 

Aronson has been a professor of physics at Stony Brook University and concurrently led the correlated electron materials group in the Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory. She received her AB (Physics) in 1980 from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, and her MSc and PhD (Physics), in 1982 and 1988 respectively, from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Following her graduate work, Aronson held a postdoctoral assistant position with the Condensed Matter and Thermal Physics Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory and was a visiting scientist at Natuurkundig Laboratorium at the Universiteit van Amsterdam in the Netherlands. 

Aronson has served on a range of national and international boards and committees. She is currently Chair of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory External Advisory Committee, of the Helmholtz Society Review Board for Forschungzentrum Juelich, and of the American Physical Society Division of Condensed Matter Physics. She has an extensive publication record, and has been honoured with a number of fellowships, including of the American Physical Society and of the Neutron Scattering Society of America. Aronson has received more than US$13.5 million in sponsored research support over the course of her career.

Mark MacLachlan, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies and Canada Research Chair in Supramolecular Materials, will serve as Acting Dean of Science from July 1, 2018 until Aronson takes on the role.

Now concluding his second term leading UBC Science, Peacock has overseen tremendous growth and transformation across the Faculty, including system-wide improvements in teaching, growth in enriched learning opportunities, major investments in research infrastructure, strengthened interdisciplinary clusters, and substantial progress on equity and working climate issues. 

A professor in Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Peacock has published more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals including Science, Nature and the Journal of Geological Education, and has taught courses that collectively span most of the earth sciences at the introductory, undergraduate and advanced graduate level.-->