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ASU’s Johnson named executive dean of Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering

April 12, 2006

Paul Johnson, ASU’s associate vice president for research, has been appointed executive dean of the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering. Johnson will assist incoming Dean Deirdre Meldrum in continuing efforts to make the Fulton School one of the nation’s premier engineering schools.

In this newly created position, Johnson essentially will serve as the chief operations officer with responsibility for the execution and oversight of the day-to-day administrative activities of the Fulton School. Dean Meldrum will serve as the academic leader of the school with primary responsibility for academic affairs, strategic planning, external and community relations, and management.

“Dean Meldrum will lead the Fulton School into many new and exciting areas of science and engineering and she will need a trusted colleague to maintain the operational aspects of the school as it moves forward in exploring new research opportunities, advancing new learning methods and developing new industry and government interactions,” said ASU President Michael M. Crow. “Paul Johnson, with his expertise in research and his experience in working in the Fulton School of Engineering, is particularly well-suited for this role.”

“Paul Johnson is an excellent choice for this vital position,” added Dean Meldrum. “He will be a key team member who will keep us on track for becoming one of the nation’s finest engineering schools.”

“Paul Johnson has been an invaluable contributor to the ASU research office for the past two years,” said Jonathan Fink, ASU vice president of research and economic affairs. “He has carried an ever-increasing administrative work load while still maintaining his even disposition, keen judgment and disarming good humor. He is an ideal partner to help Dean Meldrum better link the Fulton School with major interdisciplinary initiatives across ASU and around the world.”

“Michael Crow is investing significantly in the Fulton School of Engineering, as evidenced by the selection of Dean Meldrum, the opening of new research facilities and the hiring of exceptional faculty,” Johnson said. “He expects this investment to continue the transformation of the Fulton School started by Dean Crouch. I’m excited by the opportunity to work with Dean Meldrum, the Fulton School leadership and the faculty to make the vision for the Fulton School a reality.”

Johnson will begin his duties as executive dean on May 15, 2006. At that time, he will also assume the role of interim dean until the arrival of Dean Meldrum later this fall.

As interim dean, Johnson will convene and coordinate a transition team composed of ASU Provost Milt Glick, Vice President of Research and Economic Affairs Jonathan Fink, incoming Dean Deirdre Meldrum, and Senior Vice President and University Planner Rich Stanley, to oversee academic budget and administrative matters until Dean Meldrum arrives.

Johnson has been ASU’s associate vice president for research since April 2004. In this position, he is responsible for nurturing and tracking research programs through strategic investment of Technology and Research Initiative Funding/Proposition 301 resources, allocation of space in ASU’s new research facilities, and oversight of university research support functions including the Office for Research and Sponsored Projects Administration, Department of Animal Care, and other units.

Prior to that, Johnson was associate dean for research in the Fulton School. He also is a professor of civil and environmental engineering at ASU. Johnson received his B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of California – Davis in 1983. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering from Princeton University, in 1984 and 1987, respectively.

Prior to coming to ASU in 1994, Johnson worked as a senior research engineer at Shell Oil/Shell Chemical Westhollow Technology Center, Houston. Johnson’s research program focuses on chemical migration in the environment, with application to environmental risk assessment, soil and groundwater remediation and aquifer management. He is also the editor-in-chief of the National Ground Water Association’s technical journal Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation.

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