University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo Chancellor Bonnie D. Irwin announces the appointment of Dr. Simon Kattenhorn as the permanent dean of the College of Natural and Health Sciences following the July 6, 2023 UH Board of Regents meeting. Kattenhorn’s appointment is effective August 14, 2023. He replaces Interim Dean Brian Wissman.
Kattenhorn comes to UH Hilo from the University of Alaska Anchorage where he was Associate Dean in the College of Arts and Sciences since July 2020. He also served as Director and Professor of Geological Sciences at UAA from 2016-2021.
His research portfolio includes 29 years of scientific research activities and research dissemination contributions, 20 competitive Federal grants, 45 peer-reviewed journal articles as primary or co-author, and 184 conference abstracts. Over the course of his career, he has taught 65 course sections and has mentored 26 graduate students and 11 undergraduate students in research projects.
He is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, and a member of various professional organizations, including a Fellow in the Geological Society of America.
Kattenhorn received his Ph.D. from Stanford University, M.S. from University of Akron, and M.Sc., B.Sc. (Honors), and B.Sc from University of Natal, Durban, South Africa.
‘“I am grateful that we had such a capable interim dean in Brian Wissman, and we are all excited to have Dean Kattenhorn join our team,” Irwin noted. “His rich experience will serve UH Hilo well in the coming years.”