June 5, 2009
TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY
Dear Colleagues:
In January I wrote to you about the intention of Dr. Matthew Tirrell to step down at the end of this academic year, following a decade of extraordinary accomplishments and contributions as Dean of our College of Engineering.
Dr. Tirrell will be taking the position of Arnold and Barbara Silverman Professor of Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, and Materials Science and Engineering, as well as Chair of Bioengineering, at UC Berkeley. We congratulate Matt and wish him well with this exciting new endeavor.
Following the recommendation of Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas, and in consultation with the Academic Senate and administrative and faculty colleagues, I am pleased to announce that Professor Larry Coldren has graciously agreed to serve as Acting Dean of our College of Engineering, effective July 1, 2009, pending approval by President Yudof and the Regents.
Dr. Coldren holds the endowed Fred Kavli Chair in Optoelectronics and Sensors within our Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He has a joint appointment in our Department of Materials, and also directs our Optoelectronics Technology Center.
Professor Coldren received his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University. Prior to joining UC Santa Barbara in 1984, he spent 13 years conducting research at Bell Laboratories. His pioneering contributions in many aspects of diode laser design, fabrication, and analysis have had important practical impact in commercializing new sources for fiber optic communications, particularly in the areas of vertical-cavity and widely tunable DBR lasers. He has authored or co-authored over a thousand papers, seven book chapters, and a textbook, and has been issued 63 patents. Dr. Coldren has received numerous honors for his achievements and contributions, including election to the National Academy of Engineering and the 2004 John Tyndall Award from the Optical Society of America.
We greatly appreciate Professor Coldren’s long-standing dedication to our campus, and his willingness to help ensure a smooth transition for our College of Engineering.
The search for our next Dean of Engineering is already well underway. I would like to once again thank the co-chairs of our search advisory committee, Professors Linda Petzold and Edward Kramer, along with all of our committee members, as listed in my February memo.
Please join me in extending our heartfelt thanks and best wishes to Dean Tirrell. Please also join me in welcoming Professor Coldren as Acting Dean, and thanking him for his willingness to assume the responsibilities of this important leadership position.
Sincerely,
Henry T. Yang
Chancellor