Jun 13, 2025
I am pleased to announce that Kieron Burke, Distinguished Professor, Department of Chemistry, has been appointed interim dean of the School of Physical Sciences, effective July 1, 2025.
A UC Irvine faculty member since 2006, Professor Burke brings leadership experience and scholarly distinction to this role. He currently serves as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Physical Sciences, and he also holds a joint appointment in the department of Physics & Astronomy.
An internationally recognized expert in theoretical and computational chemistry, Professor Burke's research focuses on density functional theory (DFT), a cornerstone of modern quantum chemistry and materials science. His work has influenced the development of electronic structure methods. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and both the American Chemical Society and the American Physical Society. He has also pioneered applications of machine learning to electronic structure problems, including collaborations with Google Accelerated Science and Google DeepMind.
Professor Burke's academic service includes advisory positions with national and international research institutes and leadership in organizing major scientific conferences and workshops. His commitment to education is reflected in his innovative teaching and curriculum development, including the creation of globally used online resources.
Please join me in thanking Professor Burke for taking on this significant role. A national search for the next dean of the School of Physical Sciences will commence shortly.
Sincerely,
Hal Stern
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor
Distinguished Professor, Department of Statistics