LOGAN — Utah State University has tapped an associate professor in the Department of Biology to be associate dean for undergraduate programs and services for the university’s College of Science.
Greg Podgorski, who joined USU in 1988, succeeds Richard Mueller, who retired from the post after 37 years of service with the university.
Podgorski’s duties will focus on undergraduate student affairs, including oversight of recruitment, advising, instruction, curriculum, retention and undergraduate research. He will also lead the college’s Science Unwrapped public outreach program.
“I look forward to taking an active role in student recruitment, especially recruitment of underrepresented minorities,” Podgorski said in a statement. “My focus will also be data-driven tools to encourage student participation and success, as well as promoting opportunities in undergraduate research.”
A National Academies teaching fellow, Podgorski has taught a wide range of biology classes, genetics and advanced microbiology, as well as cell and developmental biology. He has served as a committee member for more than 50 graduate students completing advance degrees in programs throughout the university.
Podgorski has led multiple teaching-focused workshops throughout the nation and is among the authors of the nationally acclaimed and widely used “Biological Science” college textbook.
In addition to teaching, Podgorski has led an active research program and has co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed research journal and conference papers. His research interests focus on cell signaling and development, along with computational biology.
The College of Science includes the academic departments of biology, chemistry and biochemistry, computer science, geosciences, mathematics and statistics, and physics.