On Wednesday May 27 2020, Dean Nancy Allbritton shared the following announcement with the College of Engineering community:

I am very pleased to announce that Professor Dan Ratner has accepted the position of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Engineering effective June 1, 2020 subject to the approval of the Provost.

Passionate about improving the student experience, Dan is uniquely qualified to assume this leadership position. Dan is strategic, thoughtful, and skilled in moving impactful programs forward within the university. Through his roles in faculty governance and administration, he has been focused on addressing matters of diversity, equity, and access in university admissions policy and practice.

In this position, Dan will lead the college’s academic programs and initiatives to support student success. Dan will manage Academic Affairs’ strategic planning, student-oriented educational processes, implementation of ABET processes, and educational innovation as we continue to shift from a two-year to a four-year academic experience. He will work closely with key stakeholders both within and outside the UW, such as Washington’s unique network of 34 community and technical colleges.

A Bioengineering faculty member since 2007, Dan recently served as the University’s Interim Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment Management. He was co-chair of the Faculty Council on Academic Standards (FCAS) and served for several years as Chair of the Subcommittee on Admissions and Graduation. He has been instrumental in the College’s path to Direct-to-College admission and served as chair of CoE’s Future Admissions Committee in 2014.

Dan has a record of excellence in classroom teaching and curricular development, which has been recognized with multiple departmental teaching awards, two nominations for the UW Distinguished Teaching Award, the College of Engineering Dean’s Award, and selection to the National Academy of Engineering Frontiers in Engineering Education. He also has a strong record of mentorship in the laboratory, having mentored over 125 postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate trainees. His research focuses on leveraging molecular engineering and chemical synthesis to design molecularly-inspired materials for diagnostics and pulmonary drug delivery. He has patented multiple inventions and launched a start-up medical device company that has licensed UW technology to address critical unmet medical needs in transfusion medicine.

Dan will work closely together with Brian Fabien to ensure a seamless transition of responsibilities and programs.

Please join me in congratulating Dan and welcoming him to the College of Engineering leadership team.

Best regards,

Nancy Allbritton