Montelone reappointed as Associate Dean for Research
By Tom Roesler
Communications Coordinator
Beth Montelone has been reappointed as associate dean for research in the College of Arts & Sciences at Kansas State University.
"Dr. Montelone has demonstrated a tremendous talent for promoting research and managing our many diverse college facilities," said Peter Dorhout, dean of the College of Arts & Sciences. "She is a wonderful associate dean who has earned considerable respect from our college."
In her role as associate dean, Montelone oversees space planning, facilities renovation, safety, instructional equipment needs and technology issues for the college and represents the college in matters pertaining to research, including research core facilities issues and research compliance.
“I am pleased to be reappointed as associate dean for research at a time when we are moving toward implementation of K-State 2025 in the college and our departments and to work with the new vice president for research, Karen Burg, as part of that process,” Montelone said.
A K-State faculty member in biology since 1988, Montelone has conducted research in DNA repair and mutagenesis as well as in science outreach. Her work has been funded by several agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. She is a member of the graduate faculty for the biology, genetics, and master of public health programs, and directs the Pathways to Public Health and One Health Kansas projects. She has also served as the interim research director of the K-State Biosecurity Research Institute and held the Peine professorship of biosecurity.
Montelone received a B.S. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Ph.D. from the University of Rochester, both in New York. She carried out postdoctoral research at the University of Miami School of Medicine and the University of Iowa.
In her time as associate dean for research, she has helped the College of Arts & Sciences develop the Faculty Enhancement Program to encourage research, scholarly and creative activities, and discovery, or RSCAD, in early-career faculty members and facilitated new programs supported by the student instructional fee to enhance the student learning experience within the college, including the undergraduate research and research travel programs.
“It is an exciting time for our students and faculty as we make use of resources such as the instructional fee to improve our teaching infrastructure and work with the university and donors to improve our facilities and create new opportunities for excellence in both research and teaching,” Montelone said.
In 2013, she worked with the provost’s office and administrators from four other colleges to develop K-State’s successful proposal to the National Science Foundation Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation program. She serves as co-principal investigator on this project aimed at increasing degree attainment in science, technology, engineering and math fields by diverse students.
