New VC for Research and Dean of the Graduate School Named at Montana Tech

Dr. Angela Lueking will join the executive leadership team at Montana Technological University as the vice chancellor for research and dean of the graduate school. Lueking, who currently serves as the associate dean for research at Missouri S&T, will assume the post on August 15, 2021. She will replace Beverly Hartline, who recently retired from Montana Tech.

“We’re excited to welcome Dr. Lueking and her family to Montana Tech and the community,” said Chancellor Les Cook. “The breadth of Angela’s experiences at Missouri University of Science and Technology, Penn State, the University of Michigan and the National Science Foundation will prove incredibly valuable for Montana Tech. With a new strategic plan underway, I have the utmost confidence in her leadership and vision to continue moving us forward.”

Lueking earned her bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Nebraska and dual master's degrees in environmental engineering and chemical engineering and doctoral degree in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan.

"I am excited to join Montana Tech for its distinctively different student-focused culture," noted Lueking. "This is a tremendous opportunity for providing additional opportunities for students to obtain a graduate degree at Tech in a unique interdisciplinary collaborative environment."

In her current role, Lueking facilitates new research partnerships with external stakeholders, builds collaborations across the University, mentors junior faculty, and oversees the College's research activities for data-driven decision-making, strategic direction, and resource allocation. From 2016-2018 she served as Program Director of Molecular Separations at the National Science Foundation where she worked on projects including the purification of industrial chemicals, drinking water, and biopharmaceuticals. She was the point person for two disciplinary inter-agency National Academy Studies and led a program to reenergize mid-career faculty. At Penn State for 15 years, she held joint appointments in Energy & Mineral Engineering and Chemical Engineering and conducted research in hydrogen storage that coupled material development, advanced in situ characterization, and ab initio molecular modeling. She holds patents in the low-pressure synthesis of nanocrystalline diamond and carbon-based hydrogen clathrates. Her accomplishments led to her selection as an International Marie Curie Fellowship in 2012, one of twenty-five American scientists to receive this honor. Beyond research, she was co-Principal Investigator on an NSF-funded graduate education and outreach program and co-authored the 2018 general education textbook "Science of the Earth, Climate and Energy."

Dr. Dan Trudnowski, chair of the search committee, added, "Dr. Lueking brings a wealth of research experience to Montana Tech. She's developed a very successful research program and, more recently, has been a very successful research administrator. She has the experience, vision, and work ethic to lead Montana Tech's research programs and graduate school. I'm truly excited to begin working with her."

As the vice chancellor, Lueking will provide leadership, vision, and direction for the university's research enterprise and graduate school.