Huskies Ask is a weekly column where we send question
s to different Michigan Tech faculty and staff each week.
This week, we reached out to Dr. David Hemmer, Dean of the College of
Sciences and Arts!
| (1) Where is your home town and when did you come to Michigan Tech?
I grew up in Syracuse, New York, which is the snowiest major city in the United States, averaging about 120″ a year of snow. Of course Houghton does not compete in that category! I moved here to take the dean’s job in July 2018, after spending 11 years at the University at Buffalo, SUNY, including six years as chair of the Mathematics Department. Buffalo is also one of the snowiest campuses in the US. Although I am no stranger to snow, it wasn’t until I came to Tech that I learned how to ski! (2) What is your favorite thing about Michigan Tech? The brilliant students who study hard but also take full advantage of the amazing opportunities our location offers. Second favorite is the location itself, I have come to love skiing in the winter, and the beautiful summers with sunlight until past 10 p.m.! (3) What is something you wish students knew about you and your job? Just that I exist and that I would love to hear from them. I think when most students think of “The Dean” they naturally envision Dr. S. But students have academic deans as well, and we truly care about your experience at Tech. (4) What advice do you have for students who may feel that their major is underrepresented on campus? Small degree programs give you more access to faculty, smaller classes, and lots of opportunities for undergraduate research. Take full advantage of this. Get to know your faculty! And be assured the job placement record in our degree programs, including in the arts and humanities, is as strong as any on campus! |
