ENGINEERING, HUMANITIES DEANS NAMED AT UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY
H. Scott Hinton, a 25-year veteran of higher education and industry, has been named dean of the College of Engineering, and Gary Kiger, professor and department head of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology, has been named interim dean for the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Utah State University. The announcement was made by USU President Kermit L. Hall at Utah State?s Board of Trustees meeting May 17 in Salt Lake City. Hinton, chair of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at the University of Kansas, assumes his duties July 1. Kiger begins August 1.
“Hinton will be a tremendous asset for Utah State University,” said Hall. “His rich background in both industry and academics will greatly benefit our students and help us continue to build partnerships with area industry.”
“Kiger has served the university with distinction as a teacher, researcher and department head and we?re certain he?ll excel as interim dean,” added Hall.
Hinton takes the helm as the College of Engineering begins construction on a new $33.2 million classroom and laboratory facility. He succeeds A. Bruce Bishop, who is retiring as dean after 20 years at the post.
More than 1,800 students are currently enrolled in Utah State?s College of Engineering, which includes five departments and 90 faculty members. The college houses a number of research centers and, along with the USU Research Foundation, generated more than $62 million in research funding during the past 12 months.
“I am looking forward to an exciting future based on the excellent engineering tradition that has been established at Utah State,” said Hinton, a native of Lehi.
Hinton joined the University of Kansas as the Deane E. Ackers Distinguished Professor in 1999. He was the Hudson Moore, Jr. Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1994-1999, and held the BNR/NSERC Professor of Photonic Systems Chair at McGill University in Montreal from 1992-1994. Prior to entering academia, Hinton spent 12 years with AT&T Bell Laboratories where he managed the research and development of free-space photonic switching systems.
Hinton holds a master?s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University and earned a bachelor?s degree in electrical engineering from Brigham Young University. In addition to photonic switching systems, his research interests include free-space optical interconnects, optical backplanes and technology-enhanced learning environments. Hinton is a fellow of both the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Optical Society of America.
Hinton and his wife, Sharon Snow Hinton, a native of St. George, are the parents of eight children. “We are excited about returning to our home state,” he said.
Kiger replaces Elizabeth S. Grobsmith, who leaves Utah State to become provost at Northern Arizona University.
“My time at Utah State, though brief, has been truly wonderful,” Grobsmith said. “I have been privileged to help move the college agenda forward during this time.”
Kiger has been on the faculty at Utah State for 17 years. He has received awards for his teaching as well as his research. Working with colleague Pamela Riley, Kiger has worked in the area of gender, work and family. Additional research focuses on prejudice formation and prejudice reduction. Working with his wife, Deborah Byrnes, he has published extensively on their research about racial/ethnic prejudice and discrimination, religious diversity and language differences. Kiger and Byrnes were co-recipients of a USU President?s Diversity Award in 1996.
While serving as interim dean Kiger plans to continue teaching in his home department. He accepted the new assignment because of the quality of faculty and students in the college.
“I?m proud to serve because we have such committed faculty members as well as bright and capable students,” Kiger said. “I am pleased to have the opportunity to step into this leadership position in the college because I firmly believe the liberal arts are the lifeblood of the university.”
Kiger graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado and then earned his master?s degree in sociology from McGill University in Montreal. He earned his doctorate at the University of Colorado.
H. Scott Hinton ( )