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Chemistry Scholar Named Oberlin's New Dean of Arts and Sciences OBERLIN, OHIO – Sean Decatur, a distinguished scientist who has taught and published in the field of biophysical chemistry, has been named Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of chemistry and biochemistry at Oberlin College. A native of Cleveland, Decatur currently holds an endowed professorship in chemistry and life sciences while serving as associate dean of faculty for science at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. An expert in biophysical chemistry, he manages an active, externally funded research laboratory and carries a half-time teaching load. Decatur studies the structure and function of proteins, and how their malfunctions are linked to diseases such as Alzheimer's. Decatur will oversee budgetary and administrative responsibility for 35 academic departments and will report to President Marvin Krislov. "We are delighted to appoint Sean Decatur as our Dean of Arts and Sciences," says Krislov. "He is an excellent administrator, a fine teacher, and an outstanding scientist. Sean has proven that he is deeply committed to the mission of liberal arts and an undergraduate education. He is known for encouraging students to join him in his research and has co-authored papers with undergraduates for articles in journals such as Biochemistry and Journal of the American Chemical Society." In 1995, Decatur joined the faculty of Mount Holyoke, a women's liberal arts college, where he took on the challenge of establishing a world-class research program in biophysical chemistry. He won the Meribeth E. Cameron Faculty Prize for Scholarship in 2001 and has received national recognition for his research. He has earned more than $3.75 million in grants, including a prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development grant and a Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award. Decatur stands out for encouraging undergraduates to join him in his work, supporting them with funding from the NSF and the National Institutes of Health. At Mount Holyoke, Decatur has developed unique courses for science and nonscience majors alike. His initiatives include a Race and Science lecture series to consider the impact of technology on communities of color and racial diversity in the scientific community; a course to explore the ethical, social, and political questions related to scientific topics, such as cloning, bioengineered food, and gene therapy; and a team-taught introductory course that integrates introductory biology and chemistry. "I am truly honored to be at Oberlin," says Decatur. "This is an outstanding institution with a rich history and remarkable students and faculty. I will serve with tremendous enthusiasm and dedication to Oberlin's academic programs." Decatur earned a bachelor's degree with honors in chemistry at Swarthmore College in 1990 and a PhD in chemistry at Stanford University in 1995. He and his wife, Renee Romano, grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from Hawken School and Shaker Heights High School respectively. Media Contact:
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