Alumna named dean of College of Engineering & Science

Earlier this month, University of Detroit Mercy appointed Katherine Snyder ’89, ’93, a two-time alumna of Detroit Mercy, dean of the College of Engineering & Science.

Snyder has served as the College’s interim dean since May 31, 2017. Previously, she was the associate dean of Academic Affairs of the College of Engineering & Science, a position she held since 2010.

Snyder is delighted to serve as the new dean and expects to build on the efforts of previous College leaders to create new opportunities for students, faculty and staff involved in STEM education.

“The College of Engineering & Science has great momentum,” she said. “Building on the success of our strong academic programs, we provide a great mix of theory and practice with opportunities for engagement with meaningful projects and research, working with our faculty who care about helping students achieve and find meaning in their career goals.”

During her Detroit Mercy career, she has served as director of the University’s 7-Year Dental Program and chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department. She is the principle investigator (PI) of a $300,000 grant from the Ford Motor Company for a Ford Mobility App project. Additionally, she is co-PI for the ReBUILDetroit grant, a $21.2 million award from the National Institutes of Health. In addition, she serves on the Academic Board for Detroit Loyola High School.

Pamela Zarkowski, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said Snyder’s appointment is well deserved, based on her record of leadership, dedication to students, ability to work collaboratively and relationships with faculty, staff, students and external project partners over the years.

“Since she was a student at Detroit Mercy, Katy has dedicated her professional life to the University and is an example of how one demonstrates the Jesuit and Mercy values in her career and life,” she said. “She works very hard to help students achieve success in the engineering and science fields, and her colleagues have a great deal of respect for her based on her commitment to servant leadership and student success. I applaud our search committee for their dedication to the search process and in helping Detroit Mercy make the right choice for dean.”

Before joining Detroit Mercy as a faculty member in 1994, Snyder taught high school in southwest Detroit. She earned a Ph.D. in Mathematics and Computer Education at Wayne State University. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from University of Detroit. Snyder enjoys hiking, biking, kayaking, reading and craft breweries.