Professor of Chemistry John Tierney has been appointed interim director of academic affairs (DAA) at Penn State Brandywine, effective January 1, 2014. He will serve in this capacity until a permanent DAA is hired. Current Director of Academic Affairs Paul deGategno will relinquish his administrative duties in the new year and return to teaching, research and service as an English professor at the campus.
Tierney was appointed by Interim Chancellor George W. Franz in consultation with Vice President for Commonwealth Campuses Madlyn Hanes and incoming Penn State Brandywine Chancellor Kristin Woolever, who will begin on February 1, 2014.
Tierney is a graduate of University of Reading in Reading, Berkshire, U.K., has an M.Phil. in physical organic chemistry from the University of Hertfordshire and a Ph.D. in physical organic chemistry from Temple University, where he won the Guy F. Allen Teaching Award. He joined the Brandywine faculty in 1983 as an assistant professor of chemistry, was awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor, and achieved the rank of professor in 2008.
Tierney has served on various promotion and tenure committees at the campus, department and college level. He has also served on numerous campus committees and on the University Faculty Senate, where he was a member of the Committee on Faculty Affairs and the Benefits Committee.
"This wide experience in promotion and tenure procedures and in university governance and administration means that John will be able to assume the challenges of this new position with little need to get up to speed," said Interim Chancellor George Franz, who served as DAA for a decade before his 2007 retirement.
Throughout his career, Tierney has spent time in the private sector, given more than 40 scholarly presentations, written 28 publications (many in collaboration with his undergraduate students), served as thesis adviser for three Schreyer College Honor theses and for nine years served as the team leader for the U.S. Rowing Team to the Word Championships or Olympics.