MSU names interim engineering dean

Engineering schools are big, complicated operations — part classroom system, part research engine, part workforce pipeline. That is why Montana State University’s latest leadership move matters more than a routine personnel change. MSU has named Christine Foreman interim dean of the Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering, with the appointment announced April 29 and her start date set for June 1. The immediate gap is simple: longtime dean Brett Gunnink is retiring this summer after 14 years, and the college needs someone who already knows how the place works. (montana.edu) ### Who is stepping in? Christine Foreman is not an outside fixer parachuting in for a year. She is a Distinguished Professor of chemical and biological engineering, has been on the MSU faculty for more than two decades, and has spent the past 13 years as the college’s associate dean of(montana.edu) advising, retention, and the stuff that determines whether a college actually functions day to day. (montana.edu) ### Why pick an interim instead of a permanent dean now? Basically, an interim dean buys stability. A dean search takes time, and engineering colleges do not pause while committees meet. Courses still have to run, budgets still have to get signed, faculty searches still move, and resear(montana.edu)s the people, the programs, and the pressure points. That is the logic behind this kind of appointment. In this case, MSU is handing the college to someone already embedded in its leadership team. (montana.edu) ### Why is this college such a big job? The Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering is one of the university’s largest and most strategically important colleges. It enrolls more than 3,300 students across engineering, engineering technology, and computer science-related programs, and it (montana.edu)lty roster — the role sits at the intersection of teaching, lab funding, industry relationships, and the state’s talent pipeline. (bigskytimes.com) ### Why Foreman specifically? Foreman’s profile fits the “keep the train moving” version of this job. She has deep roots in the college, she has already been handling student-success work, and MSU highlighted her as a recognized researcher too — she recently received the university’s 2026 Pro(bigskytimes.com)ve to balance two constituencies that often pull in different directions: undergraduates who need a smooth academic experience, and faculty researchers who need support, grants, and graduate talent. (montana.edu) ### What changes on June 1? Probably less than the headline suggests — and that is the point. Students are not looking at a sudden curriculum reset. Faculty are not being told the college is starting over. The main change is who holds the authority to steer decisions while Gunnink exits(montana.edu)operations steady during the transition. (montana.edu) ### What does Gunnink leave behind? A long run. Gunnink has been listed as dean in MSU’s academic leadership structure and is leaving after 14 years in the role. In university terms, that is enough time to shape hiring patterns, research direction, donor relationships, and the public id(montana.edu)s been holding the map. (montana.edu) ### So what should people watch next? The real story now is whether “interim” turns into a holding pattern or a launchpad. If Foreman keeps things stable, supports enrollment and research momentum, and wins confidence across faculty and students, she becomes the obvious benchmark for an(montana.edu)tion at one of its most important colleges. (montana.edu)