Physicist Persis Drell is the new dean of the School of Engineering, the ninth in Stanford history and the first woman in the role. The former director of the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, Drell succeeds Jim Plummer, MS '67, PhD '71, who steps down after 15 years.
Drell, who grew up on campus as the daughter of SLAC professor emeritus Sidney Drell, impressed the university's search committee with her record as both researcher and administrator. "She created a true renaissance at SLAC," says President John Hennessy, noting that her tenure at the lab (2007-2012) was marked by collaboration across numerous scientific disciplines.
Drell takes over a school with about 5,300 students, more than 240 faculty members and more than 80 labs, centers and affiliate programs incorporating student research.
