When Barrett Wells became head of the Department of Physics in 2018, he says his opinion of the department changed.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was such an interesting thing, to learn more about what all my colleagues were doing,\u201d the condensed matter physicist says. \u201cI always felt we had a good department but as I learned more details [on colleagues\u2019 research], I thought, \u2018Wow, we\u2019re better than I thought we were.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Now as Wells, who goes by Barry, joins the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences as the new Associate Dean for Life and Physical Sciences, he expects he\u2019ll experience that all over again.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, this will be different \u2013 broader, and much larger,\u201d he notes. \u201cBut I\u2019m looking forward to learning more broadly about all our science departments.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wells joined UConn in 1998, following positions at Boeing and Brookhaven National Laboratory. He became department head in 2018, where he met and worked with department heads across the CLAS Division of Life and Physical Sciences.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody’s grumbling about the same things, or they\u2019re happy about the same things,\u201d he jokes. \u201cI’m hoping that sitting where I am, I can help keep the voices of the people in the departments centered in where we are going and what decisions we make.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to get a clear understanding of what each unit believes their problems and strengths are, and the people involved.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wells will oversee the Division of Life and Physical Sciences, which comprises the Departments of Chemistry; Earth Sciences; Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Geography; Marine Sciences; Molecular and Cell Biology; Mathematics; Physics; Physiology and Neurobiology; Psychological Sciences; Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences; and Statistics.<\/p>\n
\u201cBarry is a thoughtful and experienced scientist and leader, and I\u2019m very happy to have him,\u201d says Ofer Harel, interim dean of the College. \u201cHis track record shows that he asks the right questions and really advocates for his faculty and staff.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the unique challenges of the position, Wells says, is ensuring adequate space for laboratory research. He will work closely on these and other issues with Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Affairs Andrew Moiseff, who previously served in Wells\u2019 role.<\/p>\n
\u201cAndy is a major part of the reason I decided to apply for this role,\u201d says Wells. \u201cHe’s been wonderful to work with. It\u2019s a little scary to try to live up to him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wells says he wants to ensure people have access to resources for both interdisciplinary and disciplinary research. Research and teaching in the disciplines needs to be strong, he says, for interdisciplinary research to be successful.<\/p>\n
As the University moves toward replacing its general education requirements \u2013 most of which are offered in CLAS – with a common curriculum, Wells anticipates that he and the other CLAS associate deans will work to ensure that the College continues to provide a diverse, liberal education to all UConn students.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all know we are trying to create and disseminate knowledge, and I’m looking forward to working with people who keep the core mission of the University in mind,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
Inclusion is also very important to Wells, whose own home field of physics has traditionally lacked representation of women. Data also shows, he notes, that most women scientists have partners who are also scientists, which factors into where they end up making their academic home.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople come from all over the world to work at UConn, and we have to make that a great choice,\u201d he says. \u201cWe want to create situations that are really good for them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Although Wells says he has a steep learning curve to surmount, he has found the CLAS offices among the best to work with at the University. He hopes to contribute to the overall success of not just his division, but the College.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy definition of success is that CLAS departments feel that they are running smoothly and that people are able to do their best work.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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