Teaster Baird Jr. appointed CoSE Associate Dean

I am pleased to share the terrific news that Dr. Teaster Baird Jr. will be joining us on June 1, 2022 as the new Associate Dean for the College of Science & Engineering. Dr. Baird Jr. is currently faculty member and chair of our Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry. He joined SF State in 2002 after completing a PhD from Duke University and a post-doc at UCSF Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Dr. Baird Jr.’s area of expertise is biochemistry. He has mentored over 75 students in his research lab as well as several IRACDA postdoctoral fellows. He has numerous publications and presentations, many of which were led by his students. He has received numerous external grants including an NSF CAREER award. He was instrumental in garnering and launching the NIH SF BUILD grant, which aims at diversifying the biomedical profession. He has helped lead many diversity initiatives in CoSE including the NIH MARC, NIH Bridges, LSAMP, and other similar programs that have been highly impactful to students and faculty, as well as in regards to our research and training efforts. In 2015, Dr. Baird Jr. received the SFSU Distinguished Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching and in 2021, he became an American Society for Biochemistry & Molecular Biology inaugural Fellow. He has served as a DEI facilitator/Leader for Faculty Affairs as well as on several university and senate committees. He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the CoSE Dean’s Office.