For more information: smu.edu/newsinfo.
Paul W. Ludden, dean of the College of Natural Resources at the University of California-Berkeley and scholar in environmental biochemistry, has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at SMU. He will join SMU in time for the fall 2007 semester.
As provost, the University’s chief academic officer, Ludden will oversee all aspects of academic life, ranging from admissions and faculty development to supervision of SMU’s seven schools, library system and international programs.
“Paul Ludden is an active researcher, he values undergraduate teaching along with graduate education and he has experience leading academic units in a complex educational setting,” says President R. Gerald Turner.
In accepting the position, Ludden said, “SMU is filled with opportunity. There is a solid foundation of academic achievement, an ambitious plan for obtaining resources to support even more progress academically and a strong partnership with a city becoming more important globally. SMU has all of the ingredients to fulfill its high aspirations, and I look forward to working with the University community in achieving our goals.”
A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, Ludden received his B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Nebraska in 1972 and his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1977. After a Rockefeller postdoctoral fellowship at Michigan State University, he served as an assistant professor at the University of California-Riverside. In 1981 he returned to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he rose to the rank of full professor.
At Wisconsin he directed the Biochemistry Graduate Program for 14 years and taught in the highly regarded Biocore Program for undergraduates. Continuing his administrative career while pursuing his research interests, he served as assistant chair of the Biochemistry Department and later as executive associate dean, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, at Wisconsin.
In 2002 Ludden joined UC-Berkeley as dean of the College of Natural Resources and professor of plant and microbial biology. In addition to his duties as dean, he teaches a first-year seminar and co-teaches the core microbiology course for undergraduate majors. He carries a concurrent appointment as a faculty member at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He represents Berkeley on several environmental science groups and in the University-Industry Consortium.
An expert on microbial biochemistry, Ludden with his students has published more than 175 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. The NIH chose his work for a 10-year Merit Award that provides support for his laboratory.
Ludden has received numerous honors and was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is a member of the American Society of Plant Biologists and the American Society of Biological Chemists.
For more information: smu.edu/newsinfo.