Dean F.R. "Buck" McMorris to Retire

F. R. "Buck" McMorris will be retiring at the close of the 2007-08 academic year, after he will have served the IIT community for nine years, the last five as dean of CSL. Buck joined IIT in 1999 as chair of Applied Mathematics and was appointed dean of CSL when the college was formed in 2003. Buck brought much academic and administrative experience to IIT, having served for 15 years at the University of Louisville in various roles, including assistant vice president for research, chair of the Department of Mathematics, Distinguished University Scholar, and professor of mathematics.

During his tenure as CSL dean, the college has matured significantly. The number of freshmen has increased by 50 percent, making the college the second-largest academic unit at IIT in number of students and the largest in faculty and teaching hours. In 2006, approximately $9 million, or 40 percent, of IIT's overall research volume was attributed to CSL. Many prominent organizations outside the university have recognized CSL faculty for their teaching and research achievements. Buck has also done much to increase collaborative efforts between CSL and other IIT entities.