Carnegie Mellon University
May 25, 2016

Rebecca Doerge Appointed Dean of Mellon College of Science

Rebecca Doerge

Rebecca Doerge, the Trent and Judith Anderson Distinguished Professor of Statistics at Purdue University, has been appointed as the next dean of the Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon University, effective Aug. 1.

Doerge also will hold joint faculty appointments in the Department of Biological Sciences in the Mellon College of Science and the Department of Statistics in the Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Doerge, who joined Purdue in 1995, holds a joint appointment in Purdue’s College of Agriculture and College of Science. Her research focuses on statistical bioinformatics, which brings together multiple scientific disciplines to investigate and disseminate biologically interesting information, and further understand the ultimate function of DNA and epigenomic associations.

“Rebecca brings more than 25 years of experience as a scholar, educator and leader to CMU,” CMU Provost Farnam Jahanian said. “Collaboration across disciplinary borders is a hallmark of her own scholarship and her academic leadership, and she has demonstrated a deep appreciation for supporting basic research. Those qualities make Rebecca an ideal leader for the Mellon College of Science and a champion for science throughout Carnegie Mellon at this important moment. Science is in our DNA as a university, and touches on the work that all of us do, across colleges and centers.”

As head of Purdue’s Department of Statistics from 2010-2015, Doerge oversaw the unit’s growth into one of the largest departments of statistics in the country. She led efforts that doubled both the number of undergraduate students and the number of tenured female faculty, while also increasing the department’s number of online and hybrid course offerings.

“Carnegie Mellon’s focus on educating the whole student across disciplinary boundaries is essential for addressing both societal and global challenges,” Doerge said. “I am deeply honored to be a member of the university’s leadership team and look forward to working with the Mellon College of Science faculty, staff and students to advance discovery, collaboration and innovation.”

Doerge is an elected fellow of the American Statistical Association and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is a member of the board of trustees for the National Institute of Statistical Sciences and the Mathematical Biosciences Institute.

A recipient of multiple awards at Purdue, Doerge has authored more than 120 scientific articles, published two books and worked with 23 doctoral degree candidates to the successful completion of their studies.

Doerge earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mathematics from the University of Utah and a doctoral degree in statistics from North Carolina State University. She spent two years as a postdoctoral scholar at Cornell University.

Doerge will succeed Dean Fred Gilman, who will be stepping down after serving in the position since 2007.