Meet the Dean

Juan E. González, a longtime School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics faculty member, has recently been appointed as Dean of Graduate Education and Vice Provost for Global Engagement. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology and Public Health from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Molecular Genetics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and did his post-doctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His research has concentrated on the study of the molecular signals exchanged between prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms and bacterial quorum sensing, the regulation of gene expression in response to fluctuations in cell-population density. This work has been supported by various grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.

In addition to his research and teaching activities, he has played a significant administrative role in the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics as Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. He has worked with the dean and faculty members to expand recruitment, retention and successful completion of graduate degrees in the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, Mathematics, Physics and Science/Math Education.

Dr. González is the author of a variety of publications describing the role of bacterial quorum sensing during the symbiotic interaction between nitrogen fixing microorganisms and legumes.

Dr. González has been instrumental in recruiting international graduate students. Under his leadership, UT Dallas has initiated and expanded various international agreements, including a partnership with Mexico’s Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT) and, more recently, with the Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT) from Chile. He recently chaired the international enrollment task force, established by Provost Musselman, which studied UT Dallas international recruitment efforts and strategies. In addition, for the past 13 years, González has served as campus director of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Student Participation, which is tasked with increasing the diversity of students successfully completing STEM baccalaureates and encouraging more underrepresented students to consider graduate study programs.