Mark A. Smith

 
Dean, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics

Mark A. Smith, past chairman of the department of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Arizona, became dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (NSM) at the University of Houston in January 2011.

Smith, a renowned researcher, brings to the position strong credentials as an administrator, experience at both public and private universities, an impressive record of recruiting top faculty and students, and experience in coping with budgetary challenges.

His background is rooted in success at the University of Arizona. Smith built his department's first development program. This involved the recruitment of academic, business and community leaders, engagement of the community as a whole and getting the word out about how strong science benefits the community and state.

Smith served administrative roles in the department of chemistry and biochemistry for 16 years, the last eight as department head or chairman. Under his leadership, the department achieved a ranking in the top 15 research-funded departments nationally. He also was actively engaged in university restructuring and cost-savings initiatives.

The author of more than 80 publications and the principal investigator of a wide range of grant-funded projects, Smith's research group at Arizona focused on chemical physics, reaction dynamics, atmospheric chemistry, interstellar chemistry and astrobiology.

He earned a B.S. degree in chemistry from the University of Oregon in 1976, an M.S. degree in organic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1978 and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Colorado in 1982.