Daniel Cox has been appointed as the new dean of natural sciences at The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Coming from Georgia State University, Cox is set to start on May 1.
“Cox brings an impressive record of leadership, scholarship and innovation, with extensive experience fostering interdisciplinary research, faculty development and student success,” said Nancy Gonzales, executive vice president and university provost. “And his leadership at Georgia State University, a university that shares ASU’s mission of academic excellence, access and student success, make him well-prepared to advance the ideals of the ASU Charter from day one.”
The natural sciences division at The College oversees six schools and is home to two top Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) research rankings: No. 1 in transdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and other sciences and No. 3 in geological and Earth sciences. The division hosts an award-winning actuarial science program through the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences and has led NASA-affiliated projects such as the Psyche mission in the School of Earth and Space Exploration.
“While many universities talk about innovation, ASU acts with intent and commitment to being innovative and inclusive, with unmatched accessibility to unique collections of programs and innovative pedagogies across the natural sciences,” Cox said.
Cox’s research focuses on developmental neurogenetics and behavioral neurobiology. During his tenure at Georgia State University’s College of Arts and Sciences, he played an instrumental role in advancing academic excellence and overseeing record-breaking research funding. Cox most recently served as the acting associate dean for research and graduate studies, where he provided support to 23 department chairs.
He has also held director roles at GSU’s Center for Neuromics, the Neuroscience Institute, the Second Century Initiative Neurogenomics Fellowship program, and the Brains and Behavior program.
Prior to GSU, Cox was the director of Confocal and Cellular Imaging Facilities and three graduate programs in the School of Systems Biology at George Mason University.
At the Neuroscience Institute, Cox’s lab revolved around topics such as developmental neurogenetics and computational neuroscience. He specifically looked at the fruit fly as a model system to investigate questions relating to neurological disorders and neuropathic pain.
“I thrive on new challenges in exploring the unknown, and at each step of my career, I have endeavored to pursue topics that, while critically important, have been historically understudied,” Cox said.
Cox has been a long-standing champion of transdisciplinary research initiatives, witnessing firsthand how collaborations can drive discovery and foster positive change within public communities that wouldn’t have been achieved otherwise. Cox has prioritized these partnerships by connecting and supporting communities of scholars across disciplines where their expertise was in a position to address national and global needs.
“I will prioritize investing in the recruitment and retention of faculty, staff and students who elevate research capacity and create synergies across the natural sciences disciplines, which is of paramount importance to the overall mission of The College and the university,” Cox said. “This includes the advancement of strategic partnerships with external stakeholders that connect our scholars and students to regional and global communities.”
His past experience has also included working on curricular innovation, supporting the development of new curricula to add computer science, data science and artificial intelligence across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences to better provide students with skill sets desired by potential employers.
“We are thrilled to have Dan lead the natural sciences and support his work to advance academic excellence and research innovation,” said Kenro Kusumi, senior vice provost and dean of The College. “His deep commitment to student success and experience in fostering transdisciplinary research stood out as values and assets that aligned well with the overall goals of The College."
A vision for the future
Cox’s plans for the division center on his commitment to student success and development, as well as evolving science education to meet the needs of students while engaging them in real-world problems and phenomena.
He aims to remain competitive in the graduate-level space by developing new graduate programs, increasing student engagement in accelerated degree programs and using professional development training to further connect students to a range of career opportunities. Cox also looks forward to supporting mentoring initiatives and experiential learning opportunities by expanding access to transformative experiences through labs like his own.
“I envision being at the heart of problem-based, intellectual fusion training that values all natural sciences disciplines, embeds professional development and crystallizes the value of transdisciplinary inquiry and digital literacy across disciplines to best support our students’ aspirations,” Cox said.
His vision for the natural sciences division aligns with The College’s mission to empower and educate students and surrounding communities on the value research has on transforming the world and people’s everyday lives.
“ASU has so many compelling and personal stories to tell that ground the impact of research and natural sciences education in real-world, tangible outcomes and inspiring personal and professional goals achieved. I am committed to telling and amplifying these stories with conviction and actively engaging in these dialogues internally and externally.”
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