A New Mexico State University Regents professor with nearly two decades of service to the university was selected to become dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Enrico Pontelli has accepted the appointment after serving as interim dean of the college since February of last year.
“Dr. Pontelli is a highly respected researcher and teacher with a deep understanding of New Mexico State University and great confidence in the future of the institution,” said NMSU Executive Vice President and Provost Dan Howard. “He has a clear vision for the college and is committed to advancing its research, teaching and service mission. I look forward to helping him achieve his goals for the college.”
Pontelli was interim associate dean for planning and academic resources in the college for two years prior to being named interim dean of the college in 2016. He served as head of the Department of Computer Science for five years, during which he led the department on a path of growth. He is also an alumnus, earning his Ph.D. in computer science from NMSU in 1997.
“I am a proud Aggie,” Pontelli said. “This institution has given a lot to me and the reason I want to do this is to give back to NMSU. I see the college as a team with a shared vision helping each other to serve our students.”
Pontelli’s research interests are in the general area of artificial intelligence, high performance computing, assistive technologies and bioinformatics. He has published over 250 peer-reviewed papers in international venues and secured over $14 million in funding for his research.
Community outreach is important to Pontelli. He is the founder of the university’s Young Women in Computing program, which has reached more than 14,000 students and raised the visibility of NMSU in the computer science education community.
“I have started a number of initiatives that I want to continue,” Pontelli said. “The college is strong and has incredible faculty and staff. We have challenges to face, but they are not insurmountable. In the months and years ahead, I believe we can work together to forge a new kind of graduate for the 21st century.”
Information from NMSU