Deans

Bart S. Ng

Acting Dean and the Marvin L. Bittinger Chair in Mathematical Sciences

Bart Ng received his B.S. summa cum laude from Saint Joseph's College in 1968 and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1973. After completing his postdoctoral studies at the University of Toronto, he joined the Department of Mathematical Sciences and later served as the department's chair from 1986 to 1997. Ng has been a member of the IUPUI faculty since 1975, and in that time, he has played an active role with the IUPUI Faculty Council, serving two terms as that body's president. His research includes work in linear and nonlinear hydrodynamic stability, asymptotic theory for higher-order turning-point problems, singular perturbation techniques and their applications to fluid dynamics, scientific computing and mathematics education.

James M. Murphy

Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education and Professor of Psychology

Jim Murphy received a Ph.D. in biopsychology from Bowling Green State University in 1978. Specializing in psychopharmacology, neurochemistry and neurobiology of behavior, he is recognized nationally for his research of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. He studies hereditary predispositions to excessive alcohol drinking behavior, sensitivity to alcohol and tolerance to alcohol. He is the author of numerous papers and journal articles. Murphy holds faculty appointments in the Department of Psychology, where he is the director of the psychobiology of addictions graduate program, and the Institute of Psychiatric Research in the IU School of Medicine.

Andrew D. Gavrin

Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Undergraduate Education and Associate Professor of Physics

Andy Gavrin received a B.S. in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1983 and an M.A. and Ph.D. in physics from The Johns Hopkins University in 1986 and 1992, respectively. His research interests include nanostructured magnetic materials, magnetic domain imaging and physics education. He is co-author of Just-in-Time Teaching: Blending Active Learning with Web Technology and is director of the United States Physics Talent Search.

Department Chairs

N. Douglas Lees

Chair and Professor of Biology

Doug Lees received his undergraduate degree in biology from Providence College and his Ph.D. in biological sciences from Northwestern University. At IUPUI, he holds appointments as a founding faculty member of University College and as an adjunct professor of biomedical engineering. His disciplinary research interests have been in fungal sterol synthesis as related to the identification of new targets for the discovery and development of novel antifungal compounds. Since becoming chair of the Department of Biology in 1992, he has developed interests in areas related to academic department chair work and department leadership.

Jay A. Siegel

Chair and Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology

Director, Forensic and Investigative Sciences Program

Jay Siegel holds a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from George Washington University and is the author of numerous papers, journal articles and two textbooks. His research focuses on the chemical analysis of ink dyes, fibers and cosmetic products. Siegel came to IUPUI in 2004 when he established the state’s first, and only, undergraduate degree program in forensic and investigative sciences. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and editor of the three-volume "Encyclopedia of Forensic Sciences," the first resource to provide comprehensive coverage of the core theories, methods, techniques and applications employed by crime scene and laboratory forensic scientists.

Shiaofen Fang

Chair and Associate Professor of Computer and Information Science

Shiaofen Fang received his Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Utah in 1992. Prior to that, he earned bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics and applied mathematics, respectively, from Zhejiang University in China. Fang is an expert in biomedical visualization and imaging, as well as the use of 3D visualization and computer graphics in the life sciences. His research goal is to develop innovative 3D techniques in order to efficiently process and analyze biomedical data that is collected from clinical and biological structures. By combining the data with computer models, Fang's research enhances medical diagnosis and treatment.

Gabriel M. Filippelli

Chair and Professor of Earth Sciences

Gabe Filippelli received a Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1994. His specialties include biogeochemistry, paleoceanography, paleoclimatology and medical geology. His recent publications include "Eocene to Miocene Terrigenous Inputs, Paleoproductivity and the Onset of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current: Geochemical Evidence from ODP Leg 177, Site 1090," "Terrigenous Input and Paleoproductivity in the Southern Ocean" and "Chemical Fractionation of Metals in Wetland Sediments: Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore."

Benzion Boukai

Chair and Professor of Mathematical Sciences

Ben Boukai received a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Binghamton (now known as Binghamton University) in 1988. His primary research interests include statistical inference, sequential analysis and Bayesian-Frequentist interface.

Gautam Vemuri

Chair and Professor of Physics

Gautam Vemuri received a B.Sc. with honors in physics from St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, India, in 1984; an M.Sc. in physics from Brown University in 1986 and a Ph.D. in physics from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1990. In 1992, following a post-doctoral position at the University of Colorado, he joined the IUPUI Department of Physics. Vemuri's research interests are in the general area of nonlinear dynamics of lasers and optical systems, with special emphasis on semiconductor laser dynamics. He also works in the area of biophotonics with collaborators from the Mayo Clinic. Vemuri recently edited a special issue of Optics Communications on "Optics in the Life Sciences."

Kathy E. Johnson

Chair and Professor of Psychology

Kathy Johnson received bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1987 and 1989, respectively. She received a Ph.D. in cognition and development in 1992 from Emory University. Johnson joined the psychology faculty in 1993 and held posts as a faculty fellow in academic affairs and School of Science faculty council president (2000-2002). She is recognized nationally for her research in language and cognitive development in infants and young children. Among her lines of research is a longitudinal investigation of toddlers who have been adopted internationally. Johnson hopes to understand better why some children learn English and catch up from delays associated with institutional care very rapidly, while others take longer to develop these skills.