Talking Academic Strategy, Opportunities and the Unexpected With College of Arts and Sciences Dean Behzad Mortazavi (Q&A)
College of Arts and Sciences Dean Behzad Mortazavi knew about the impressive work being done at Syracuse for many years before he began in his position in July. But there was a crucial element that sealed in his mind why Syracuse was the place for him.
“Ultimately, what convinced me that this was the right place for me was the people I met during the [interview] process,” Mortazavi says. “I saw big changes coming with the Academic Strategic Plan, huge industrial growth with Micron coming in and the revision of the liberal arts core. I wanted to be part of this forward-thinking institution and hope to contribute to it.”
In this Q&A with Syracuse University News, Mortazavi shares his professional background, what he’s most excited about in his new role and where his ideal vacation spot is (hint: check out his research background), among other insights that reveal the person behind the deanship.
I was living in France during my teenage years. I got fascinated with the work of Jacques Cousteau and diving in the Mediterranean Sea just fed my passion for the marine environment. So, I pursued biology as an undergraduate student in Paris and ultimately received a master’s degree in marine ecology.
I also had a lot of interest in chemistry and was looking for ways to combine my interests in marine biology and chemistry. That led me to a Ph.D. program in biological oceanography, in the Department of Oceanography at Florida State University. My research then and ever since has focused on how human activities and climate change impact ecosystems both in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The land and ocean are connected and what happens on land impacts our nearshore marine ecosystems.
My research group is currently funded by a grant from the Department of Energy, and we are looking at how changes in the frequency of droughts and floods impact how nitrogen and carbon are processed in low relief watersheds. Climate change is going to impact the intensity and frequency of floods and droughts, and we need to understand the implications on ecosystem functions.
I was a program officer at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2014 and 2015. I learned a lot about management and leadership while I was at NSF.
When I returned to my home institution, I was asked to chair the department. I tried to put into practice what I had seen at NSF and led the department through a two-year strategic planning process that set us up to hire 19 more faculty during my time as chair. I enjoy building teams and helping others achieve their dreams. That is what ultimately drew me into academic leadership.
When I was at NSF I had hundreds of proposals come to my unit for consideration. A few of those really stood out in terms of quality and originality. A couple of those were from Syracuse and when those proposals got funded and over the years I kept an eye out to see how those projects turned out. Needless to say I was impressed. So when I became aware of the position for the dean of Arts and Sciences I was intrigued and the more I looked into this role, the more I saw how my values aligned with the work happening here on campus.
I think more in terms of opportunities and challenges. The answer to both questions is the people I have met. We are in the final phase of the academic strategic planning process in the college. We have six months to finalize our plan. I think it is a great opportunity to bring people together and to think big.
At the same time, we will face a challenge of crafting a plan that is inclusive and connects what we do in the different divisions (humanities and STEM). But I see a way forward and am excited about working with humanists and scientists to come up with our strategic plan and to implement it. I do recognize that some people do not like change and would prefer the status quo; having conversations with them and hearing them out, hopefully, will help get everyone onboard with our academic strategic plan.
We have a unique opportunity to come up with an academic strategic plan that will set us apart from our peers. At the same time we have a lot of ongoing efforts in the college and some are not sustainable or maybe well structured. The Academic Strategic Plan is going to help us make decisions on how best to resource and manage our ongoing efforts so that we can achieve the new initiatives that we will want to launch. Producing a vision and a plan for the college is not the most difficult part. The challenge is always the implementation of the plan and sustaining our commitment to it for the long term.
In five years I want to have a resounding “YES” response to the following two questions:
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- In a rapidly changing world is our curriculum preparing our graduates to go on to be engaged citizens and to thrive in the world?
- Given the emerging technologies and fast pace of change in these technologies, is the research we do in this college preparing our students for successfully navigating the challenges that our communities and the world face?
Kindle/e-reader or old-school books? I love paper, but am reading more and more on e-readers so that I can easily search for a section of a book that I had wanted to go back to later on.
Movies or series? More and more series.
Take out or dining out? Dining in.
Museums or theater? The pandemic made it so that I went to museums more often. But I love to go to the theater.
Ocean or lake? Domestic or abroad? Beach or adventure? As an oceanographer I have a deep appreciation for the ocean.
College sports: Yes or no? Football or basketball? Other? I used to watch football but I cannot stomach the violence in it anymore. I love watching baseball these days.
Sleep: Night owl or early riser? I love to be in the office before anyone is here!
Favorite season? I love skiing and have always loved snow. I have many wonderful memories from my childhood of seeing snow come down hard, which would close our schools, and instead of going to school I would go skiing. But I have a feeling that I am going to be wishing for summer in a few months!
Something about you no one would expect? One of my favorite authors is Albert Camus, and one of my favorite quotes, that I go back to again and again, is: “Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present.” (“The Rebel,” 1951)
