Matthew Baker Named Associate Dean for Faculty Development

School of Mathematics professor is first holder of new leadership role

April 3, 2018

The College of Sciences has selected Matthew Baker as the inaugural Associate Dean for Faculty Development. The position was created to complement the positions of Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Associate Dean for Research. Baker is a professor in the School of Mathematics. He will begin his new role on July 1, 2018.

The Associate Dean for Faculty Development in the College of Sciences is responsible for developing, implementing, and assessing programs that enhance the instructional, research, and career opportunities for faculty. Key areas of responsibility include faculty hiring; mentoring of faculty; faculty retention, promotion, and tenure; and diversity, equity, and inclusion at the faculty level.

“I’m delighted that Matt is willing to be the first holder of this important leadership position,” College of Sciences Dean and Sutherland Chair Paul Goldbart says. “As a mathematician of global renown, an educator celebrated for the clarity of his lectures, and a faculty member with demonstrated accomplishments in service to Georgia Tech and the worldwide mathematics community, Matt is well positioned to advance our deep commitment to the professional development of faculty members as thriving, fulfilled researcher-educators who have extraordinary impact.”

Baker joined Georgia Tech in 2004 as an assistant professor of mathematics and was promoted to full professor in 2011. As a pure mathematician, he is treasured by the international mathematics community for the depth, power, and creativity of his research in some of the most demanding aspects of pure mathematics, such as algebraic and arithmetic geometry. His accomplishments have been recognized by numerous awards, including his election as a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society in 2012 and selection for the Simons Fellowship in Mathematics in 2017.

As an educator, Baker is deeply committed to enhancing students’ experience, even in the most challenging mathematics courses. This has brought him awards for teaching excellence from both Georgia Tech and the University System of Georgia. Baker is also a thoughtful and effective leader, as he demonstrated during his service as Director of Undergraduate Studies in the School of Mathematics. 

“I’m honored to have been selected, and I look forward to being part of the College of Sciences leadership team,” Baker says. “I am eager to build upon the faculty-mentoring activities that Associate Dean for Research Julia Kubanek has introduced in recent years. I hope that my unique perspective as a mathematician is helpful in addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion – and of fairness and transparency in hiring, promotion, retention, and salary considerations. I look forward to supporting the needs of our diverse, accomplished, and ambitious faculty.”

For More Information Contact

A. Maureen Rouhi, Ph.D
Director of Communications
College of Sciences