The University of Minnesota announced the appointment of Samuel Mukasa as the new College of Science and Engineering dean Tuesday.

Mukasa will serve as chief executive officer and chief academic officer for the college, which spans 12 departments, effective August 31.

Previously, Mukasa worked as a professor of geochemistry and dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of New Hampshire.

Prior to his work at UNH, Mukasa served as department chair of geological sciences at the University of Michigan.

Mukasa completed his undergraduate degree at UNH in geology, received a master’s in geology from Ohio State University and holds a postdoctoral degree in geochemistry from the University of California-Santa Barbara.

“[Mukasa] will work to preserve and enhance the excellence of the college and that balance, and he will also collaborate with other campus deans to strengthen the University’s collective mission,” said University Provost Karen Hanson in a statement.