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Intellect

New department chairs for BYU College of Physical, Mathematical Sciences

Earl Woolley, dean of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences at Brigham Young University, recently announced changes to the leadership in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Department of Mathematics Education.

Paul Farnsworth, who served as associate chair for the past three years, has replaced Fran Nordmeyer as chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Paul Savage has accepted the appointment to replace Farnsworth as associate chair.

Blake Peterson has replaced Steve Williams as the new associate chair for the Department of Mathematics Education. Williams was recently appointed editor of the Journal of Research in Mathematics Education.

"We look forward to our association with the new leadership," Woolley says. "We also thank Fran Nordmeyer and Steve Williams for their tireless efforts."

As chair, Nordmeyer led the department through significant student-enrollment growth and facilitated the hiring of a dozen new faculty members. He now returns to full-time teaching and committee work.

Farnsworth has published many articles and served as an editor of an international spectroscopy journal. He also initiated the plans to offer a computer-aided hybrid introductory chemistry course.

Savage maintains a reputation of being an inspired teacher among students since joining the faculty in 1995, and was the recipient of a 2004 Karl G. Maeser Teaching Award.

For information or questions, contact the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, (801) 422-2674.

Writer: Devin Knighton

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