| NEWS
| NOVEMBER 30, 2005
A Match Made in Texas
Iowa State professor makes move
to UTA as new Welch chair
By C
J Patton
The Shorthorn staff
After about three years of scouting donations, conducting interviews
and negotiations, the College of Science has signed Daniel Armstrong
as the university’s Welch chair.
Dr. Armstrong comes from Iowa State University, where he served
as a chemistry professor and director of the campus’ Ames
National Laboratory. Armstrong and a cadre of about 20 student researchers
will join the university’s Chemistry and Biochemistry Department
as a full-time professor in early January, Science Dean Paul Paulus
said.
“He’s a very high-profile hire. He’s nationally
known, internationally known,” Paulus said. “It says
a lot about our university that we were able to attract someone
like him.”
Armstrong is in the process of moving and could not be reached for
comment.
His hire was made possible by the Welch Foundation, a Houston-based
organization recognizing excellence in the chemistry field. Zoltan
Schelly, chair of the search committee that found Armstrong, said
the foundation’s purpose is to help Texas universities increase
their status in chemistry areas.
“They award endowments to Texas universities with the purpose
of being able to hire distinguished faculty from the outside,”
Schelly said.
The award authorizing the chair is a grant of $1 million, under
the stipulation that the university match the grant before the search
begins. This stipulation is relatively new, Paulus said, which made
completing the process a bit difficult.
“We were the first university that got the endowment with
the requirement of matching,” he said. “It was a challenge.”
Once the university matched the endowment, the search began for
someone to fill the position.
“We have been looking for someone who is very prominent,”
Schelly said. “It’s difficult, because these people
have very good positions, and we have to somehow convince them that
UTA is a place where they can successfully continue their very successful
research.”
Schelly said once Armstrong was selected as the committee’s
pick, it wasn’t difficult to convince him to move to Arlington,
allowing him to get away from the cold Iowa weather.
Paulus said he got to know Armstrong when he came to Texas for his
final interviews and meetings with the administration. He said his
overall impression of Armstrong was positive.
“My wife and I met with him and his wife, and we had dinner
together,” he said. “He seems to be a very congenial
individual, very straightforward. It was a pleasure to interact
with him.”
Aside from his personality, Paulus said Armstrong’s research
credentials in the pharmaceutical chemistry field make him a strong
hire and an excellent addition to the college.
“How you become a top tier university is by attracting these
stars — your profile in the world is increased,” he
said. “This is one of the real pleasures that can happen to
you on your watch, it really makes this job a delight.”
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