Ken Janda named to second 5-year term as dean

Kenneth C. Janda has been appointed to a second five-year term as dean of the UCI School of Physical Sciences, effective July 1. The announcement came from Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor Enrique Lavernia. During the last five years, the school has continued to climb in rankings and attract outstanding new faculty and graduate students, and it has gained an international reputation for excellence in research and teaching. One of the founding academic units established at UCI in 1965, the School of Physical Sciences is now home to the departments of Chemistry, Mathematics, Earth System Science, and Physics & Astronomy. About 1,500 undergraduate students and 550 graduate students are enrolled, and the school provides instruction to 85 percent of UCI freshmen during their first two quarters. “The School of Physical Sciences has thrived under Dean Janda’s leadership. All four of its departments are ranked above the 90th percentile by the National Research Council,” Lavernia said. “Dean Janda is committed to inclusive excellence. During his tenure, the school has steadily improved in the recruitment of women and underrepresented minority faculty. … Moreover, Dean Janda and his team successfully revitalized the school’s fundraising efforts, bringing in a record $6.3 million in 2014.” An award-winning chemist, Janda studies gas clathrate-hydrate solid solutions.