CWU Names New Dean Of COTS

April 23, 2004

Contact: Robert Lowery (509-963-1487/fax 509-963-2301/e-mail: loweryr@cwu.edu)

ELLENSBURG, Wash.-- Dr. David Soltz, Central Washington University provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, announced today (APRIL 23) that Dr. Meghan Miller has been appointed as dean of the College of the Sciences.

"She has done an excellent job as the interim dean since July 2002," Soltz says. "Her experience, vision and leadership will serve the College of the Sciences well as we transform Central Washington University."

Miller was selected from what Soltz termed "a very strong pool" of about 40 applicants for the position who applied during a nationwide search. They were screened by a university search committee, chaired by Dr. Roy Savoian, dean of the CWU College of Business. Miller was one of three finalists interviewed for the job.

She received her Ph.D. in geology from Stanford University and a bachelor's degree in geology from Yale University. In addition, Miller conducted postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology, supported by the National Research Council.

She joined the CWU faculty in 1991 and served as geology department chair from 1992 to 1998.

"Under her leadership the geology department grew to regional prominence in teaching and research in natural hazards and environmental geology," Soltz notes. "She also helped develop and implement a very successful graduate program, along with a strong program of undergraduate study that is closely integrated with faculty scholarship and funded from a variety of the major federal sources."

Miller is also a prominent earthquake researcher and is able to involve CWU graduate and undergraduate students in her work measuring active deformation of the earth.

"She has been awarded and administered grants of more than $5 million," Soltz adds, "and has lead interdisciplinary and multi-institutional efforts to address scientific issues of global importance."

Miller will assume the permanent post as COTS dean beginning May 1.