Leadership

Mohammad Dehghani

Mohammad Dehghani

Chancellor

 

Dr. Mohammad Dehghani became chancellor of Missouri University of Science and Technology on Aug. 1, 2019. A mechanical engineer, Dehghani is a nationally prominent research and academic leader.

Dehghani joined S&T from Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey, where he served as vice provost for research, innovation and entrepreneurship since 2013. Before joining Stevens, he was a professor of mechanical engineering and founding director of the Johns Hopkins University Systems Institute. Through that institute, he established collaborative research and application programs with many organizations.

Dehghani previously led the New Technologies Division at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory – a $1.8 billion, 7,000-employee multidisciplinary applied science and engineering national security laboratory.

Dehghani holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Louisiana State University, where he earned his master of science and bachelor’s degrees in mechanical engineering. He also completed a postdoctoral National Science Foundation internship at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mehrzad Boroujerdi

Mehrzad Boroujerdi

Vice Provost and Dean for the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education

 

Dr. Boroujerdi became dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Education on July 1, 2022. He joined S&T from Virginia Tech University, where he served as director of the School of Public and International Affairs. An expert in comparative politics, Middle East regional politics and Iranian history, he holds a Ph.D. in international relations from The American University, a master’s degree in political science from Northeastern University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Boston University.

David Borrok

David Borrok

Vice Provost and Dean for the College of Engineering and Computing

 

Dr. Borrok became interim dean of the College of Engineering and Computing on Aug. 1, 2022, after serving as associate dean for research in the college. He joined Missouri S&T in 2017 as chair of the department of geosciences and geological and petroleum engineering after serving as director of the school of geosciences at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He holds a Ph.D. in civil engineering and geological sciences from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s degree in economic geology from the University of Michigan, and a bachelor’s degree in geology and geophysics from Missouri S&T.

Richard K. Brow

Executive Director of Operations for the Kummer Institute

 
  • brow@mst.edu
  • Phone: (573) 341-6812
  • 106 Parker Hall, 300 W. 13th St., Rolla, MO 65409, or 327 Straumanis-James Hall, 16th St., Rolla, MO 65409

Dr. Brow, Curators’ Distinguished Professor of materials science and engineering (MSE), joined Missouri S&T in 1998 as professor of ceramic engineering and a senior investigator in the Materials Research Center. He was named chair of the ceramic engineering department in 2001. In 2004, he became chair of the then-new MSE department. He has served in other leadership positions, including interim vice provost and dean of the College of Engineering and Computing from 2016 to 2017, director of the Center for Biomedical Research from 2018 to 2021, and interim deputy provost for academic excellence from 2019 to 2022. In March 2024, he was appointed executive director of operations for the Kummer Institute. Brow has more than 250 archival research publications and he holds 22 U.S. and international patents on glasses and related materials. He is a past-president of the American Ceramic Society and a member of the World Academy of Ceramics.

Cheryl Cain

Cheryl Cain

Vice Chancellor of Marketing and Communications

 

Cheryl Cain joined Missouri S&T in 2023. As chief marketing and communications officer, she leads a team responsible for developing and managing Missouri S&T’s brand identity, strategic communications, web and digital initiatives, social media, visual identity and media relations, and engagement and outreach. Before S&T, Cain was vice president for marketing and communications at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. She holds an MBA in marketing from the University of North Texas, a bachelor’s degree in television-radio/broadcast journalism from Ithaca College, and a certificate in strategic communication management from Ithaca College and the International Association of Business Communicators. She is accredited in public relations by the Public Relations Society of America.

Dr. Kamal Khayat, interim vice chancellor for research and innovation

Kamal Khayat

Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation

 

Dr. Khayat joined Missouri S&T as the Jones Professor in 2011. He also serves as director of the Center for Infrastructure Engineering Studies and was previously director of the Center for Research on Concrete Applications for Sustainable Transportation and Center for Transportation Infrastructure and Safety, U.S. Department of Transportation-funded University Transportation Centers. Before joining Missouri S&T, he was director of the Center for Excellence on Concrete Infrastructure Engineering and head of the Integrated Research Laboratory on Materials Valorization and Innovative and Durable Structures at the Université de Sherbrooke in Canada. He holds a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, where he also earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, a master of engineering degree in construction engineering and management, and a master of science degree in structural engineering.

Tim Faley

Interim Vice Provost and Dean of the Kummer College of Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Economic Development, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Commercialization

 

Dr. Faley became interim dean of the Kummer College on March 1, 2023. He joined S&T in 2022 as associate vice chancellor for innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialization. Previously, he was distinguished professor and special assistant to the president at University of the Virgin Islands. Before that he was chief architect of the entrepreneurship program at the University of Michigan, which was named the top-ranked graduate program in entrepreneurship in the country in 2013 under his guidance. His career spans engineering and business. Based on his work in industry and academia, Faley has developed expertise in technology licensing, venture capital, product, business, and economic development.

Alysha ONeil

Alysha M. O'Neil

Vice Chancellor for Finance and Operations

 

Alysha M. O'Neil became vice chancellor for finance and operations at Missouri University of Science and Technology on July 1, 2021. She previously served as director of project implementation and engagement in the Division of Finance at the University of Missouri-Columbia. O’Neil also served as chief business officer for MU’s Division of Student Affairs. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accountancy from the Trulaske College of Business at MU and an MBA from the university’s Gordon E. Crosby Jr. MBA program

Colin Potts

Colin Potts

Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

 

Dr. Colin Potts joined Missouri S&T June 1, 2021, as provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs following a nearly 30-year career at Georgia Institute of Technology. A native of London, Potts holds a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Sheffield University. Following his Ph.D., he worked as a software engineer and ergonomics consultant before joining Imperial College London’s department of computing. Later, he moved to the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corp. in Austin, Texas, then joined Georgia Tech in 1992. His research over the past 25 years has spanned the fields of requirements engineering, software design methods, human-computer interaction and information privacy.

Dr. Nicole Arleane Roberson

Nicole Arleane Roberson

Vice Chancellor of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer

 

Dr. Roberson joined Missouri S&T as the vice chancellor of diversity, equity, & inclusion and chief diversity officer in November 2022. She oversees the departments of equity & Title IX (ETIX) and strategic diversity initiatives (SDI).  Roberson has over 20 years of experience in equal opportunity, diversity, Title IX, and inclusion. She has held various leadership positions in higher education, including director of equal opportunity & diversity and dean of business & information technology. She is the Midwest Region Director for the American Association for Access, Equity, and Diversity (AAAED) and is a member of the Council on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (CDEI) with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU).  Roberson holds a Ph.D. in organizational leadership from Regent University, MBA with an emphasis in international management from the American Graduate School of International Management, master’s degrees in human resources management and project management, both from the Keller Graduate School and bachelor’s degree in strategic management from the University of North Texas.

Stephen Roberts

Stephen Roberts

Vice Chancellor of Strategic Initiatives

 

Appointed in June 2021 as vice chancellor for strategic initiatives, Dr. Roberts joined Missouri S&T in 2014 as the founding dean of the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. He served as interim provost from July 2019 through May 2021, Roberts previously served as professor and chair of biology at Central Michigan University. As an evolutionary scientist focused on the integrative biology of insects, he specializes in the study of honeybees and solitary bee species. He holds a Ph.D. in biology from Arizona State University and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biological sciences from Illinois State University.

Debra Robinson

Debra A.G. Robinson

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs

 

Dr. Robinson joined Missouri S&T in 1980 as a counseling psychologist. She oversees athletics and recreation; career opportunities and employer relations; community standards and conduct; counseling, disability support and student wellness; leadership and cultural programs; Leach Theatre; residential life; student health services; student life; and the testing center. Robinson has been assistant director and associate director of the Counseling Center, director of the Center for Personal and Professional Development, and associate vice chancellor for student and international affairs. She was named vice chancellor for student affairs in January 2003. Robinson served on the board of directors for the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and as co-chair of the Council for Student Affairs, one of 10 operational councils APLU. Robinson has also served as president of the Society of Consulting Psychology, Division 13 of the American Psychological Association. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in education and counseling psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Jill Tanner

Chief of Staff

 

Jill P. Tanner joined Missouri S&T in 2021 as the university’s first marketing strategist. In 2022, she was promoted to director of digital marketing. As chief of staff since November 2023, she provides strategic support to the chancellor and oversees government relations activities in coordination with the University of Missouri System’s government relations team.

She manages administrative operations, coordinates communication and engagement with various stakeholders, and advocates for Missouri S&T’s interests. She holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from Savannah College of Art and Design and is pursuing a master’s degree in information science and technology from Missouri S&T.

Tory Verkamp

Tory Verkamp

Vice Chancellor for University Advancement

 

Verkamp joined Missouri S&T in 2014 as a senior development officer and was promoted to executive director of development in 2015 and assistant vice chancellor of University Advancement in 2017. Before joining the university, she served as manager of development at Kappa Alpha Theta Foundation in Indianapolis. Verkamp earned a bachelor of journalism degree and a bachelor of arts degree in Spanish, both from the University of Missouri-Columbia. She is a certified fundraising executive.