Purdue Names College of Science Dean
Purdue University has selected Patrick Wolfe as dean of the College of Science. Wolfe, a professor of statistics and computer science and founding executive director of the Big Data Institute at University College London, will begin his new role July 17.
Wolfe is also a trustee and non-executive director of the Alan Turing Institute, which is dedicated to data science, in the United Kingdom. In his new role, he will be responsible for the College of Science’s seven departments. He will also oversee a variety of interdisciplinary programs and centers within the college.
"At today’s Purdue, excellence in the College of Science is crucial not only for its own students but to those in almost all fields of study," said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. "And data science likewise is increasingly essential to leadership across the disciplines. Given these realities, Patrick Wolfe is a world-class recruit and a perfect fit for this critical position."
Wolfe succeeds Craig Svensson, who served in the role on an interim basis and will continue until July 16.
"Both Purdue and the college have made great strides in recent years, strengthening a proud tradition, and I’m eager to build on these successes and further enhance our global impact through a college that is at the center of Purdue’s discovery, learning, and engagement missions," said Wolfe. "It is time for us to celebrate the college’s successes and to accelerate our collaborative efforts, embracing the interdisciplinary nature of science research and education and reinforcing this key aspect of our land-grant heritage."
Wolfe graduated from the University of Illinois in 1998 and earned his doctorate from Cambridge in the U.K. in 2003. His main research focus revolves around the mathematical foundations of data science, according to Purdue.