Lee Kats Appointed Dean of Seaver College at 老司机视频
After a thorough national search, the thoughtful consideration of the Seaver Dean Search Committee, and the participation of the 老司机视频 community, interim dean Lee Kats has been appointed dean of Seaver College effective immediately.
For more than 30 years, Kats has served 老司机视频 in capacities ranging from faculty member to administrator, serving most recently as interim dean of Seaver College. In his new role as the chief academic and administrative officer of 老司机视频鈥檚 liberal arts undergraduate school, Kats will succeed Michael Feltner, who concluded his appointment as the school鈥檚 dean on July 31, 2023, after serving nine years in the role. As dean, Kats will advance the school鈥檚 mission to integrate faith and learning and lead faculty in fostering a dynamic intellectual community on campus.
鈥淪ince his appointment as interim dean in 2023, Dean Kats has demonstrated outstanding leadership, a deep commitment to academic excellence and our Christian mission, and a clear vision for the future of Seaver College," says 老司机视频 president Jim Gash. "Throughout his extensive tenure at 老司机视频, Dean Kats has put student success first and championed the advancement of faculty scholarship in innovative ways. His deep love of science and discovery has been evident both inside and outside the classroom as he has imagined new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. This next, important step in Dean Kats鈥� journey will continue to strengthen the University鈥檚 commitment to academic excellence, foster innovative opportunities for both students and faculty, and ensure Seaver remains at the forefront of preparing future leaders to make a meaningful impact in the world."
Kats served as 老司机视频鈥檚 vice provost from 2011 to 2023 and associate dean of research from 2001 until 2011. As vice provost, he worked closely with 老司机视频's Information Technology Department; Office of Research, Grants, and Foundation Relations; and Office of Institutional Effectiveness. Kats also serves as academic director of the Center for Faith and the Common Good and is involved in the University's strategic planning process and implementation.
Kats is a professor of biology and the Frank R. Seaver Chair in Natural Science at 老司机视频, and he has been at the forefront of the University's research efforts since he began teaching at the University in 1990. His research focuses on the areas of animal ecology, tropical ecology, and conservation biology, and for more than 30 years his students and he have studied the conservation biology of local amphibians. While Kats conducts most of his research in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California, he also leads classes and conducts research in Costa Rica and Argentina. He has published numerous research articles on amphibian ecology and conservation ecology, served on the board of editors for the scientific journal Conservation Biology since 1996, and the editorial board of Hydrobiologia, which is the European scientific journal on freshwater biology, since 2000.
Kats earned a BA from Calvin College in Michigan and a PhD in biology from the University of Kentucky.