Dr. Simon Kattenhorn has been recently appointed as a dean at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
Kattenhorn will officially join the College of Natural and Health Sciences Aug. 14, according to a news release from the school. He will replace Brian Wissman, interim dean. The announcement was made following a July 6 UH Board of Regents meeting.
“I am grateful that we had such a capable interim dean in Brian Wissman, and we are all excited to have Dean Kattenhorn join our team," Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin said in the release. "His rich experience will serve UH Hilo well in the coming years."
Kattenhorn previously served as the associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage and held other leadership positions throughout his time there, the release reported.
His career boasts almost 30 years of research activities and published contributions, including 45 journal articles and 184 conference abstracts, according to the release. Kattenhorn has taught 65 course sections and mentored 26 graduate and 11 undergraduate students in projects.
Moreover, he has achieved many honors and awards and belongs to a number of professional organizations, including serving as a fellow in the Geological Society of America, the release said.
He holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and has other degrees from the University of Akron and the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, the release reported.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo is a comprehensive, regional institution where scholarship, research and quality undergraduate and select postgraduate education intertwine, according to the school's website. It attracts students from Hawaiʻi, mainland U.S. and overseas, and the factors drawing students to the university include its programs and its intimate, rural setting.
The university offers multiple different graduate programs, and remains committed to providing and enhancing these programs while ensuring their relevance and quality for years to come, the website said.