A chemistry professor who has held senior leadership positions at Pitzer College was named Loyola Marymount University’s executive vice president and provost.
Thomas Poon will lead LMU’s academic affairs and student affairs divisions, with responsibility for the university’s educational, scholarly and creative activities, student development, athletics and enrollment management.
He will succeed Joseph Hellige on June 1.
Poon’s senior leadership posts at Pitzer College include interim president, acting president and senior associate dean of faculty.
At Pitzer, according to LMU, Poon supported, developed and led a broad range of academic and social initiatives, such as study-abroad programs, including the establishment of an exchange program in Bhutan; the development of hybrid programs in Vietnam and Brazil; and the enhancement of a tropical field station in Costa Rica.
He’s also credited with expanding mentorship resources for first-year students and providing opportunities for incarcerated men to earn college course credits through a partnership with the California Rehabilitation Center, according to LMU officials.
LMU President Timothy Law Snyder called Poon “an esteemed scholar, distinguished educator and a proven academic leader” with “a track record for developing and supporting programs that encourage global imagination and social justice.”
“His energy, collaborative style and penchant for innovation will accelerate LMU’s momentum as an institution with global impact,” Snyder said.
Poon currently holds tenured faculty positions at Pitzer College, Claremont McKenna College and Scripps College, where he began as an an assistant professor at the three liberal arts institutions.
“I am honored to join LMU as I am inspired by its mission and values — an institution that educates with purpose and seeks transformative social change,” Poon said. “I resonate with LMU’s commitment to prepare students to thrive as global citizens, thought leaders, professionals and well-rounded persons for and with others.”
Poon has also served as a visiting scholar and assistant professor at Columbia University, assistant professor at Randolph-Macon College and postdoctoral fellow at Colby College. He earned his doctorate in chemistry at UCLA.
—City News Service