Provost announces interim leaders for College of Science and Engineering

Paula Lancaster, provost and executive vice president, has announced an interim leadership team for the College of Science and Engineering. The announcement follows the decision by current Dean Dave Ford to step down from his position at the end of the month.

Lancaster has appointed Tracy Galarowicz to serve as interim dean and Pete Vermeire to serve as assistant dean of the college.

Galarowicz has served as associate dean in the college since 2022. She is a faculty member in the Department of Biology and has previously served as department chair. She earned a doctorate in ecology from the University of Illinois; a master’s degree in biology from the University of Minnesota Duluth; and a Bachelor of Science from St. Norbert College.

Vermeire is a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and has served in various leadership roles across the college and university, including assistant chair, assistant to the dean, associate dean and special assistant to the provost for academic and financial management. Vermeire earned a doctorate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Notre Dame.

“I look forward to working with Drs. Galarowicz and Vermeire in these new roles and appreciate the experience and unique skills they bring to these positions,” Lancaster said. “I also want to thank Associate Dean Chris Tycner for his continued leadership of the college and its priorities, particularly in the areas of research and external partnerships.”

The university will launch a national search for the next leader of the College of Science and Engineering in the coming months, Lancaster said.