Dear campus leaders and the College of Chemistry community,
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Anne M. Baranger as interim dean of the College of Chemistry, effective July 1st. A respected faculty member, academic leader, and university alumna, Baranger currently serves as the college’s associate dean for diversity, equity and inclusion and as a professor in the Department of Chemistry.
Her priorities as interim dean will include strengthening financial support for students and faculty, addressing infrastructure needs and sustaining the college’s global leadership in chemical research and education. Her leadership will be instrumental in guiding the college through an important transitional period.
An award-winning educator and researcher, Professor Baranger is recognized nationally for her work in chemical education and equity in STEM.
From 2011 to 2020, Professor Baranger served as director of undergraduate chemistry, overseeing instruction and guiding curricular innovations during the COVID-19 pandemic. As associate dean since 2020, she has worked to expand inclusive excellence efforts across the college and bolster support for undergraduate and graduate students.
Professor Baranger earned her doctorate in chemistry from UC Berkeley in 1993. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Yale University, she held faculty positions at Wesleyan University and the University of Illinois before returning to Berkeley in 2011. Her connection to the college spans generations, as her grandfather also earned his doctorate in chemistry from Berkeley in 1923.
You can learn more about Professor Baranger in this news story
Please join us in congratulating Professor Baranger on her appointment. We express our deepest appreciation to Doug Clark for his outstanding leadership and dedicated service as the college’s dean since 2013. Updates about the dean search, which is still in progress, will be shared in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
Richard K. Lyons
Chancellor
Benjamin E. Hermalin
Executive Vice Chancellor & Provost