Beth Dickey to lead Strategic Research Initiatives
Materials Science and Engineering department chair appointed as Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Research Initiatives and Partnerships
Beth Dickey has been appointed as Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Research Initiatives and Partnerships in the College of Engineering. In this newly established role, she will lead research visioning and portfolio enhancement, as well as efforts to communicate the College’s unique research strengths and interdisciplinary partnerships.
“As we continue to position ourselves as leaders in research and innovation, Beth will be instrumental in creating strategies to expand and diversify the College’s research funding by working closely with the partnership team and strengthening pathways for faculty to pursue their ambitious research goals,” said Dean Burcu Akinci.
Dickey brings a strong research background, leadership experience, and track record of securing awards from major funders to this role. Since 2021, Dickey has served as department head and Teddy and Wilton Hawkins Distinguished Professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Department.
Beth will be instrumental in creating strategies to expand and diversify the College’s research funding by working closely with the partnership team.
Burcu Akinci, Dean, College of Engineering
Prior to joining Carnegie Mellon, she was a professor and associate department head at North Carolina State University, where she also directed the Center for Dielectrics and Piezoelectrics, an NSF Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC). She has been named as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Ceramic Society, the Materials Research Society, and the Microscopy Society of America. Her research efforts have been recognized globally as an inductee of the World Academy of Ceramics.
In partnership with Vice President for Research Theresa Mayer and the College’s Associate Dean for Research Franz Franchetti, Dickey will further develop opportunities to elevate interdisciplinary research efforts and diversify funding pursuits led by engineering faculty.
Chris Pistorius, currently Associate Department Head and POSCO Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, will serve as Interim MSE Department Head, effective October 1.