College of Natural Sciences announces new dean

William L. Ditto has been named the new dean of the College of Natural Sciences at UH Mānoa. His deanship is effective July 1, 2011.

 

Ditto is currently the founding director of the School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering and Olin Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Arizona State University. In addition to receiving numerous awards for his research and scientific achievements, he is internationally known for his application of chaos control to physical and biological systems, as well as for the development a new type of computer based upon nonlinear dynamics and chaos.

 

Prior to working at Arizona State University, he held the position of founding chair and professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Florida. He also was one of the founding faculty in leading the joint Emory/Georgia Tech Biomedical Engineering Department at Georgia Institute of Technology.

 

Ditto obtained his PhD in Physics from Clemson University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics from the University of California at Los Angeles.

 

Said Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Reed Dasenbrock, “The College of Natural Sciences is the second largest college at Mānoa, and I look forward to working with Dr. Ditto to enhance the instructional and research programs of the College.”

 

Added Chancellor Virginia S. Hinshaw, “We were blessed and grateful to have received high quality candidates for this tremendously important position. Dr. Ditto’s exemplary background and experience in academic leadership and in promoting and sustaining programs within higher education, makes him the best match to take the College of Natural Sciences to the next level. I also wish to thank Alan Teramura for his service as Interim Dean since 2008.”