Teamwork: New Graduate School Dean Begins Duties

Will Cantrell is having ordeals garnered all through almost two many years at Michigan
Technological College into his new part as affiliate provost and dean of the Graduate
School—a job he phone calls “a privilege.”

Final month, Jacqueline Huntoon, provost and senior vice president for tutorial affairs,
declared that Cantrell, then the affiliate dean of the Graduate Faculty and exiting
director of the Earth, Planetary and Area Sciences Institute (EPSSI), would assume his new part as dean on July 1. 

“It is a privilege to be entrusted with this posture,” stated Cantrell. “I am grateful for the help and mentorship that I have obtained from my mates
and colleagues about the past 19 a long time at Michigan Tech. I would not have been in the
posture to realize success in this hard work with no that help.”

He succeeds Pusphalatha Murthy, who is working with Cantrell to guarantee a easy changeover.
When no longer Graduate Faculty dean, Murthy will continue to provide on the Graduate
Schooling Advisory Board of the American Chemical Culture and keep energetic with the
Council of Graduate Educational institutions and the Nationwide Science Basis.

A background of leadership

As Cantrell begins his 20th yr at Michigan Tech, points seem a good deal different than
they did in 2001. You could even say that the point out of affairs is considerably different
than in 2019. But, as the University plans for a drop semester starting all through the
COVID-19 pandemic, Cantrell’s friends are confident in his skills as a chief and
an educator.

“Dr. Cantrell has a very long background of offering thoughtful leadership that, put together
with his nicely-gained track record as an effective researcher and instructor, make him nicely
well prepared to assume this crucial part,” Huntoon stated in her June announcement.

A strong combination

Cantrell stated the Graduate Faculty performs an crucial part at the College, noting that graduate education at Michigan
Tech is a one of a kind combination of the questions “Why?” and “How?” with theory and exercise. “That’s a strong combination, and our college students are valued
by field and by other tutorial institutions mainly because of it,” he stated.

Cantrell has seen his share of challenges all through his tenure at Michigan Tech, but
probably none as remarkable as the COVID-19 pandemic. He stated the pandemic is a important
trial from quite a few views.

“Of class, there are the economic pressures,” he stated. “Our college students and their people are dealing with them, the point out is dealing with them and as a
consequence, so is Michigan Tech.”

Cantrell’s other case in point is something that will be taking place during MTU’s campus
this drop.

“The social distancing that is essential to maintain the safety of our college students, workers
and faculty also helps make instruction in the classroom and the lab more tough. But
we will have to continue to stay into our shared values of community, respect, range and
inclusion,” he stated.

Cantrell joined Tech’s Physics Office in 2001 immediately after earning his PhD from the College of Alaska Fairbanks and completing
a postdoc in chemistry at Indiana College. His exploration pursuits contain atmospheric
science, cloud and aerosol physics and chemistry. He is a member of the Michigan Tech
team that made and produced the Pi Cloud Chamber, which simulates cloud situations and allows for experimentation together with turbulence
and varying aerosol dimensions and compositions.

In 2013, Cantrell was named Distinguished Professor of the 12 months by the Presidents
Council, Point out Universities of Michigan.

Michigan Technological College is a community exploration college, dwelling to more than
seven,000 college students from 54 nations around the world. Started in 1885, the College gives more than
120 undergraduate and graduate diploma programs in science and engineering, engineering,
forestry, business and economics, overall health professions, humanities, mathematics, and
social sciences. Our campus in Michigan’s Higher Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway
and is just a handful of miles from Lake Superior.