Milestones, People

Bob Jacobsen named dean of undergraduate studies

By Public Affairs

Carol T. Christ, interim executive vice chancellor and provost, sent this message today to the campus community:

Dear colleagues:

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Robert Jacobsen as dean of undergraduate studies in the College of Letters and Science, for a five-year term beginning July 1, 2016 .

Bob has served as interim dean since May 2014. Over the past two years, his primary focus has been to improve the undergraduate education experience. Through his leadership of L&S undergraduate studies, and in full partnership with the vice chancellor for undergraduate education, he has developed and implemented plans that advance the chancellor’s undergraduate initiative in areas that include advising, L&S lower division curriculum programs, cross-college education initiatives, curriculum planning and development efforts.  Bob has also worked closely with the other L&S deans to shift his division’s primary mission toward lower-division education, in part through reorganizing the Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Studies teaching programs.

Bob’s earlier record of service to Berkeley is equally distinguished, highlighted by his campus leadership as vice chair of the Berkeley Division of the Academic Senate in 2010-11 and then as chair in 2011-12. Even while serving in full-time leadership positions, he has continued to teach, offering courses ranging from freshman seminars and “Physics for Future Presidents” through upper-division experimental-technique classes. His current research is focused on a dark-matter search detector located in the former Homestake Mine in South Dakota.

On behalf of Chancellor Dirks, please join me in thanking Bob for accepting this appointment. We are extremely grateful for his continuing service and look forward to working with him to build on the excellent work he has done in leading the L&S Division of Undergraduate Studies.

Cordially,

Carol Christ
Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost