Cynthia Peterson was announced as the new dean of the College of Science on Tuesday, after a yearlong search.
Beginning Aug. 1, Peterson, who is currently the associate dean of academic personnel in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee, will be the first female dean of the College of Science, according to a news release.
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Stuart Bell said the search for a new dean of the college started in January 2013 when the previous dean, Kevin Carman, left the University for a position at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Guillermo Ferreyra, the interim dean of the College of Science, led the college for the last year and will pass his duties on to Peterson.
Peterson was chosen for the position out of three final candidates who visited the University in December, including Mark Farmer, who serves as the director of the University of Georgia’s Center for Advanced Ultrastructural Research, and W. Brent Lindquist, who has served as associate provost of Stony Brook University.
Peterson received her Ph.D. in biochemistry from LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport, and has served as the director of the graduate program in genome science at the University of Tennessee.
Peterson was named a Fellow of the American Association of the Advancement of Science in 2009, and has done research in protein biochemistry, focusing on the family of proteins called sering protein inhibitors, a University news release reported.
“My goal is to continue with the strong tradition of research and academic excellence that is the signature of the college,” Peterson said in a release.