Michael Monticino appointed Dean of College of Arts and Sciences
James Meernik appointed Acting Dean of Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies
DENTON (UNT), Texas ¾ Incoming Provost Warren Burggren has named Michael Monticino dean of the University of North Texas College of Arts and Sciences until a permanent dean is named and James Meernik as acting dean of the Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies at the University of North Texas. Both appointments are effective July 1.
In making the announcement, Burggren said, “Both Dr. Monticino and Dr. Meernik have extensive experience in academia, which will provide them with an excellent background to head the College of Arts and Sciences and the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies. These appointments will allow the university to capitalize on its existing leadership talent to keep a seamless focus on meeting its goals of providing high-quality education to students while also working to grow as a major research university.”
Monticino, who previously served four years as associate dean of CAS and is currently dean of the Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies at UNT, said “UNT’s goal to be recognized as a major research university provides a clear focus. The College of Arts and Sciences will play a major role in meeting that goal and I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with the faculty and staff in the college as well as the university’s leadership.”
“The university-wide experience afforded by my recent work in the graduate school will help me lead the university’s largest college in partnering with our colleagues across campus,” Monticino concluded.
Likewise, Meernik’s experience as current associate dean in CAS will aid his leadership of the graduate school.
“I look forward to working with President Rawlins, with Warren Burggren in his new role as Provost and the rest of the campus as we build upon the great strengths of UNT. Michael Monticino has made tremendous strides in positioning the Graduate School to reach the goals set out in our Strategic Plan for Research. I am excited about continuing these efforts to improve our graduate education and support graduate students,” Meernik said.
Monticino joined the UNT faculty in 1990 as a professor of mathematics, and he was appointed associate dean for administrative affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences in 2004 and dean of the UNT Graduate School in 2009. He also is an adjunct professor in the Department of Biostatistics at the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth.
Monticino’s areas of expertise are statistical analysis, probability models, operations research and environmental modeling. He has worked with the U.S. Navy, ABC TV, the Institute for Defense Analysis, Accenture and IBM to solve a variety of analysis and operational problems.
He was founding president of the Mathematical Association of America Special Interest Group for Business Industry and Government, a link between business, industry and government mathematicians, academic mathematicians and mathematics students. He has been active in the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics Visiting Lecturer Program, which promotes career opportunities for students, academics and others with analytical skills and applied mathematics skills.
Prior to joining UNT, Monticino was an associate with Daniel H. Wagner Associates, Inc., a mathematical and computer science consulting firm.
Meernik, who is a professor of political science, joined the UNT faculty in 1991. In 2002, he was named chair of the Department of Political Science, a post he held until 2009 when he was named interim associate dean for administrative affairs in the College of Arts and Sciences.