Chemistry Prof. Mark Ratner will serve as the interim dean of the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences for the 2014-15 academic year, Provost Daniel Linzer announced Thursday.

Ratner will assume the role on Aug. 1, succeeding Dean Sarah Mangelsdorf who will become provost at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

(Weinberg dean named UW-Madison provost)

“Mark is a true ‘university citizen,’ and he will be an excellent leader of Weinberg College as we continue the deanship search,” Linzer said in a news release.

Ratner, the Lawrence B. Dumas Distinguished University Professor of Chemistry, received his Ph.D. from Northwestern in 1969. He is a member of several honorary societies, including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. During his career, he has received multiple honors for his work and honorary doctorates from Hebrew University and the University of Copenhagen.

During his years at NU, Ratner has served as chair of the chemistry department, an associate Weinberg dean and is currently co-director of the Institute for Sustainability and Energy.

Linzer said in a news release the search for a permanent dean is ongoing. The University expects to hire a new dean during the next academic year. Linzer said the search committee will also host an open forum during Fall Quarter to give students, faculty, staff and alumni the opportunity to give input on the search for a new dean.

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