Texas Southern College is ushering in a brand new chapter of progress and innovation with the appointment of Dr. Mark Weatherspoon as the following Dean of the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Know-how (COSET).
His arrival is the primary main management rent underneath President J.W. Crawford III, signaling a metamorphosis for TSU’s educational and analysis future.
“Dr. Weatherspoon’s monitor document as a pioneering chief, strategic thinker, and dynamic researcher will elevate the school and place our college students for unparalleled success,” stated Crawford. “His management will usher in a transformative chapter for TSU, and I anticipate nice issues from him.”
A profession constructed on analysis and management
Mark Weatherspoon, Ph.D., has been named the brand new Dean of TSU’s Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Know-how, efficient March 10. Be part of us in welcoming him to Tigerland!
Learn the complete announcement right here: https://t.co/QZx4hB6PHW pic.twitter.com/3JgqK0r3Ux
— Texas Southern College (@TexasSouthern) February 6, 2025
Weatherspoon joins TSU after greater than a decade on the joint Florida A&M College – Florida State College Faculty of Engineering, the place he superior from assistant professor to professor earlier than taking up management roles. His positions included affiliate division chair for Electrical and Pc Engineering (ECE), ECE director of undergraduate applications and inaugural affiliate dean for School Affairs and Tutorial Innovation.
Over time, he has suggested 17 graduate college students, produced greater than 65 publications and secured over $5.5 million in analysis funding.
“I’ve noticed many deans alongside the way in which,” Weatherspoon advised the Defender. “I’ve discovered from their successes and from their failures that I feel have nicely ready me to steer right here because the dean of COSET.”
Prime priorities for COSET
Weatherspoon enters the function with a transparent sense of priorities. His first purpose is to stabilize management inside the faculty.
“One of many challenges coming into this function is that I’ve quite a lot of interim deans and interim division chairs,” he stated. “I’ll proceed to guage the team-making selections on hiring everlasting deans, division chairs and assistant/affiliate deans.”
Secondly, he goals to develop TSU’s engineering choices. At present, the college presents simply two ABET-accredited levels (evaluated and accepted by ABET to fulfill international requirements for technical schooling): civil engineering and electrical and pc engineering.
The trail won’t be instant. The engineering growth plan includes first creating and approving new diploma applications throughout a number of disciplines. As soon as accepted, college will likely be recruited, college students enrolled and the primary cohort should graduate earlier than accreditation might be sought. Future progress consists of launching applications in mechanical, chemical, civil, aerospace and doubtlessly environmental engineering.
“The beginning strategy could be for present accredited undergraduate engineering levels,” Weatherspoon stated. “We wish to add graduate parts, beginning with grasp’s applications. We may have a basic grasp’s program in engineering with totally different concentrations in these areas.”
Strengthening partnerships and securing assets
Past teachers, Weatherspoon emphasizes collaboration with trade and lawmakers to safe assets. He pointed to latest successes in legislative funding for TSU, together with allocations for aviation and regulation.
“We’ve been very lucky right here in Texas that our legislature elevated funding for us throughout this [legislative] cycle,” he stated. “We’ve gotten funding that possibly plenty of establishments within the state didn’t obtain. I attribute that to the nice relations established by our president and our board with the individuals within the legislature.”
Weatherspoon additionally confused the significance of alignment throughout management.
“Throughout all HBCUs [Historically Black Colleges and Universities], there has not been the extent of alignment that’s mandatory to permit areas of progress and growth in engineering and securing exterior analysis funding,” he defined. “The college strikes ahead with the alignment from the board right down to the deans that enables allocations of inside assets to sure priorities to perform sure objectives.”
Increasing the STEM pipeline
A central focus for Weatherspoon is widening entry for African American college students in STEM (Science, Know-how, Engineering and Arithmetic). He envisions outreach applications, twin enrollment pathways and neighborhood partnerships that put together college students early for the rigor of STEM fields.
“Engineering, however STEM may be very math-intensive,” he stated. “So, we can’t wait till they get right here. We’ve to succeed in out and interact with the neighborhood, develop partnerships on the center and highschool stage and neighborhood schools, as a result of if college students are usually not instantly ready, then we must always encourage them to go to neighborhood schools to get their first two years after which come to us.”
For Black college students specifically, Weatherspoon believes in publicity to STEM fields to garner curiosity.
“Typically they don’t know what they should take as a result of there hasn’t been any publicity,” he added. “When we have now our open homes and applications that can interact the scholars locally, then we will begin having these conversations. If that is thrilling to you as a sixth, seventh grader, or eighth grader, these are the kind of programs you have to just remember to are taking in highschool.”
Trying forward
Weatherspoon can be confronting instant infrastructure challenges. Some labs at COSET stay closed as a consequence of upkeep issues.
As he steps into his function, Dr. Weatherspoon is optimistic about TSU’s future.
“TSU has a wealthy legacy of educational excellence and a robust dedication to scholar success,” he stated. “I sit up for constructing upon this basis and dealing collaboratively to advance analysis, innovation, and workforce growth inside COSET.”
