Dussault selected as dean of Graduate Studies

Patrick Dussault, Charles Bessey professor of chemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has been selected the new dean of Graduate Studies at the university. Senior vice chancellor for academic affairs Ellen Weissinger announced the appointment this week. Dussault will take over duties as graduate dean on June 1, pending approval by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents.

Dussault has been at UNL since 1988, as assistant professor (1988-94), associate professor (1994-2001) and full professor. He was chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2001 to 2007.

Dussault earned his named professorship in 2009. He has received numerous awards and honors for his teaching. He has supervised 16 doctoral dissertations, 10 masters' theses, and has an extensive record research-training undergraduates and postdoctoral fellows. He also serves as the director of the Center for Nanohybrid Functional Materials, part of a National Science Foundation-EPSCoR-funded grant.

"Dr. Dussault is well-suited to the graduate dean role," Weissinger said. "He is an experienced academic administrator who appreciates the unique circumstances of graduate education across the scholarly disciplines. He's been a very successful mentor of graduate students and post-doctoral scholars. Pat has built a positive reputation as a collaborative leader and is respected by his colleagues in academic affairs and in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. I'm very pleased he accepted our offer to become the new graduate dean."

Dussault earned a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the University of California, Irvine, and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the California Institute of Technology. His research interests are peroxide synthesis, oxidations in organic chemistry, chemical biology and nanostructured materials. He was a postdoctoral fellow for the National Cancer Institute at Duke University.

The selection comes after a search process. Kimberly Andrews Espy had served as acting dean since January 2010 while Weissinger, the former graduate dean, served as interim senior vice chancellor. Espy will leave UNL June 1 for a position as vice president for research and innovation and dean of the graduate school at University of Oregon.

WRITER: Kelly Bartling, University Communications, (402) 472-2059