College of Science, Cal Poly Pomona
Email: dostraney@csupomona.edu
Phone: (909) 869-3600
Dr. Donald O. Straney became dean of the College of Science in August 2002. Prior to that, he was assistant to the provost for faculty development and a professor of zoology at Michigan State University.
As an administrator at Michigan State University (MSU), Straney served as department chair for nine years, leading a department of 37 faculty, 60 graduate students, five staff members, and more than 300 majors. As chair, he substantially increased the number of faculty members, oversaw the incorporation of general education and introductory biology teaching into the department’s mission, and led the revision of undergraduate and graduate curriculum as MSU converted to the semester system. Straney also served as the “special projects” person in the provost’s office, overseeing MSU’s involvement in the ACE/Kellogg Project on Leadership and Institutional Transformation. The ACE/Kellogg Project is a national program that enhances academic environments and learning situations between faculty and students. Straney was the co-founder of the interdisciplinary graduate program in ecology and evolutionary biology and served for many years on the All-University Committee on Animal Use and Care. He was active in issues related to access and climate for underrepresented groups on campus and co-chaired a subcommittee of the All-University Task Force on Gay and Lesbian Issues.
As a professor and scientist, Straney’s research in evolutionary biology focused on patterns of evolutionary change within and between major lineages and methodological issues related to the quantitative study of morphological change. This led him to an extended study on understanding patterns of diversification in bats, including the use of embryological investigations of skeletal development. His current research on morphological change in ant evolution is ongoing.Straney received his bachelor of science and master of science degrees from Michigan State Univeristy and his Ph.D. in zoology from UC Berkeley.
Email: bahacker@csupomona.edu
Phone: (909) 869-5553
Dr. Hacker is serving as the interim Associate Dean for the College of Science, on loan from the College of Engineering. She has worked closely with the College of Science over the last three years as the Principal Investigator for the NSF ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant (www.csupomona.edu/advance). The ADVANCE grant seeks to increase the number of women faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines and enable them to further their careers. Previously, Dr. Hacker served Cal Poly Pomona as the Associate Dean of Academic Personnel and Resources for the College of Engineering and as the Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs.
Dr. Hacker joined the faculty at Cal Poly Pomona in 1992 in the Chemical and Materials Engineering Department. Prior to beginning her career in higher education, Dr. Hacker worked for DuPont applying her analytical skills to a variety of challenges ranging from research and development to financial analysis and then as the Technical Area Superintendent at a chemical plant in Texas. Dr. Hacker received her Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Florida and her Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Princeton.
Hiram Santisteban is delighted to be part of California Polytechnic University, Pomona as the Operations Analyst for the College of Science. Coordinating the College of Science's Commencement event is only one of the responsibilities Hiram does for the College. Prior to becoming part of the College of Science, Hiram worked for the Rosier School of Education University of Southern California and as Strategic Planning IT Consultant.
Laura's primary responsibilities are to maintain the Dean’s and the Associate Dean's calendars. Laura also offers her assitance with the Robert Noyce Scholarship.
Brent graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in 1997 with a B.S. in Geology (yes, another College of Science alumni!). He did his senior thesis on structual geology of metamorphic rocks with respect to faults in the San Gabriel mountains. He still loves rocks and especially enjoys rockclimbing. He chose to work and gain experience as an IT system administrator for the Forest Service from 1997 to 2005.
Brent felt a need to return to his Cal Poly roots and became the Lead IT Consultant for the College of Science in January, 2005. In this capacity, he serves as the system administrator for computer systems that support college faculty and staff and is the IT liason between I&IT division and departments and programs within the college. Since 2005, he has been active in network configuration and VLAN creation, implementing a new college-wide file server and disk-disk-tape backup system, and educating users about securing their data. Brent manages the Science Helpdesk and supervises student staff that provide IT support for the college.
