Leadership Profile  

Dear MSU Community,

I am pleased to announce the launch of a national search for Montana State University’s next dean of the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering.

We have formed a search committee with individuals whose backgrounds and contributions to MSU will help us identify the most qualified candidates. Will Thomas, dean of the College of Letters and Science, will chair the search committee. Julie Heard in the Office of Academic Affairs will provide administrative support.

The committee members, in alphabetical order, are:

  • Jim Becker, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Kristin Connolly, Technical Operations Manager, Center for Biofilm Engineering
  • Cora Rose Hannigan, Graduate Student, Civil Engineering
  • David Miller, Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
  • Stephanie Wettstein, Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering
  • Bill Wuertz, Retired, Vice President, Blackmore Sensors and Analytics and NACOE advisory board member

Finalists for the dean position will be invited for campus interviews and public forums during the spring semester, and I anticipate our new dean of the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering will start July 1, 2026. Throughout the search process, the committee chair will provide updates with more specific timelines and milestones.

The search for our next NACOE dean is an important endeavor for the future of our university. I encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas for this position with members of the search committee so that they may incorporate your suggestions into the process.

Please join me in thanking these individuals for their willingness to serve in this important undertaking.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert L. Mokwa | Executive Vice President and Provost

Montana State University

Tel. 406-994-4371

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