As Colorado State University prepares to bid many faces farewell for the summer, the College of Natural Sciences awaits the arrival of a new member. In a recent announcement by President Amy Parsons and Interim Provost and Executive Vice President Lise Youngblade, Randall McEntaffer was named the new Dean of the College of Natural Sciences.

McEntaffer will be coming to CSU from Pennsylvania State University, where he’s served as the department head and professor of astronomy and astrophysics. He will begin his appointment July 1 and said he is already looking forward to the opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives at CSU.

“As a researcher, I was always fulfilled with training students,” McEntaffer said. “Being a college of sciences dean has that impact. It’s where I’m anticipating to have the most impact.”

Among his goals as dean, McEntaffer emphasized the need to ensure student success by preparing students for careers after college before they even graduate.

“There’s potential to see (upcoming) enrollment decline,” McEntaffer said. “We need to combat that decline and ensure the cost-effectiveness of (students’) time at the college.”

Student success, McEntaffer explained, will be measured not by the years it takes for them to graduate but by making sure that students leaving the college are getting jobs in their career fields.

McEntaffer’s own college journey started on the pre-med track at the University of Iowa in biochemistry research. While he was effectively able to complete the work in biochemistry, he found it didn’t quite feel like a fit.

“I wasn’t feeling the spark in the biological sciences,” McEntaffer said.

It was during an elective astronomy course that he felt that spark, which brought him back to early experiences from childhood. 

When he was about eight or nine years old, McEntaffer’s grandmother gave him a book on the outer planets. It released right after the Voyager program, which had sent photos back to Earth. The photos intrigued him, and it was during this class that he felt compelled to make the switch. It added some additional time to his college journey, but was a path he said he was glad to have taken.

Following his undergraduate years,  McEntaffer went on to complete a Ph.D. at the University of Colorado Boulder. Despite his love for Colorado, he emphasized that he would always identify as a Hawk and that the University of Iowa would always be his home.

“I never did feel like a Buff,” McEntaffer said, though he acknowledged that he did learn a lot during his time in Boulder.

After receiving his Ph.D., McEntaffer went back to the University of Iowa where he was a faculty member for eight years before making the switch to Penn State in 2016. He started his time as the Graduate Program head, and he wasn’t initially thinking about switching to head the department. He only considered it following the encouragement of the graduate students, which ultimately led to the switch. He has since enjoyed a career of fulfilling work with students.

“I am happy to welcome Dr. McEntaffer to the College of Natural Sciences as our next dean,” said Jacob Roberts, interim Dean for the College of Natural Sciences. “I have had several opportunities to interact with him, and I have been impressed by many things: the thoughtful questions that he has asked, the directions that he is planning for the college and his collaborative spirit. I am confident that Dr. McEntaffer will bring strong and effective leadership to the college.”

One of the biggest things McEntaffer said he wants students to know is that success isn’t measured in getting a bachelor’s degree in four years. 

“Success can take five or six years, as was my case,” McEntaffer said.

What matters, he said, is the learning that takes place and the careers students are able to pursue after college.

Reach Catherine Schladegg at science@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.