Dr. M. Grant Norton, Professor in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, has accepted the post of Dean of the Honors College and will serve in the position beginning May 16, 2013.
“The Honors College and its associated programs are extremely important parts of Washington State University’s undergraduate programs. Grant impressed everyone with his enthusiasm and the quality of his ideas during the interview process. I am confident he will effectively lead the College through the next phase of its development,” said Warwick Bayly, Provost and Executive Vice President.
Dr. Norton served the College of Engineering and Architecture as associate dean of Research and Graduate Programs from 2005-11 and was chair of the interdisciplinary Materials Science Program from 2001-05. He joined Washington State University in 1991 after working for two multinational industrial companies in Europe.
Professor Norton’s current research activities are in the applications of nanotechnology for clean energy and the life sciences. The National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and Boeing are supporting these programs.
Dr. Norton received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Southampton University and his Doctor of Philosophy and D.I.C. in Materials from the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine; University of London, UK. In 2003 and 2004 he was an Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Faculty Research Associate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and spent the 1999/2000 academic year as a Visiting Professor in the Department of Materials at Oxford University. From 2004 to 2007 he held the Herman and Brita Lindholm Endowed Chair in Materials Science. Dr. Norton is author or co-author of about 200 papers in the archival literature, several book chapters and two textbooks, most recently Ceramic Materials: Science and Engineering published by Springer. Professor Norton serves as Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Materials Science, is on the Editorial Board of Journal of Nanotechnology, and on the International Editorial Board of Journal of Materials Education. He has consulted for a number of companies and organizations including the United States Air Force and REC Silicon. From 2009 to 2011 Professor Norton served, at the request of Governor Christine Gregoire, on the Board of Directors of the Washington Technology Center.
Dr. Libby Walker, current dean of the Honors College, will retire in June after serving the Honors College for 17 years in many roles – Dean, Interim Dean, Associate Dean and Assistant Dean. “Libby Walker deserves our sincere thanks for doing an outstanding job in leading the Honors College through a period of very positive change and growth,” said Provost Bayly.
Released from the Office of the Provost on March 18, 2013