Montana State's graduate school dean stepping down

BOZEMAN - Montana State University announced this week that Craig Ogilvie will step down from his position as dean of the Graduate School and associate vice president of research at the end of December.

Ogilvie, who began as the graduate dean in 2019, plans to continue at MSU as a member of the faculty of the Department of Physics in the College of Letters and Science, where he will concentrate on his specialty of nuclear physics and his passion for teaching and research.

"We will miss Dr. Ogilvie's leadership as dean of the Graduate School, but I'm pleased that Craig will continue to be an integral part of our academic community," said Robert Mokwa, MSU's executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.

The provost praised Ogilvie's dedication to advancing graduate education and student success and his support for the university's research, teaching and outreach mission during his five years as dean.

"His leadership has been instrumental in strengthening our academic programs and partnerships, and we are grateful for the impact he has made," Mokwa said.

"Thanks to all the people at Montana State for their work with our incredible graduate students -- the faculty who teach and mentor, the staff who do so much to support our students, especially the staff in the Graduate School," Ogilvie said. "I have learned so much from our students; they are developing advanced skills and knowledge to make a difference in Montana's communities. They are amazing, and all of MSU is proud of their accomplishments."

Ogilvie came to MSU from Iowa State University, where he was assistant dean of the Graduate College. His academic background is in physics, and he worked as a research scientist at Michigan State University and at GSI in Germany. He was an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a professor of physics at Iowa State. He has a doctorate in physics from the University of Birmingham, England, and a bachelor's in physics from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand.

Deborah Haynes, who previously headed MSU's Department of Health and Human Development and served as interim vice provost for global engagement, will act as interim dean of the Graduate School beginning in January.

Details of a national search for the permanent dean will be announced at a later date.

More information about the Graduate School at MSU is available online at http://www.montana.edu/gradschool.