January 13, 2021
Roger Fales and Giovanna Guidoboni have been named associate deans at Mizzou Engineering.
Mizzou Engineering has two new associate deans committed to student success and research excellence. Interim Dean Noah Manring named Roger Fales associate dean of student services & academic programs and Giovanna Guidoboni associate dean for research.
“I look forward to supporting both Dr. Fales and Dr. Guidoboni in their new roles as associate deans for the College as they will provide critical help to our students, faculty and staff,” Manring said.
Fales is an associate professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. As associate dean of student services & academic programs, Fales will focus on recruiting and retaining students and providing them with high-quality advising and career services.
Guidoboni is a professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with a joint appointment in the Mathematics Department. As associate dean for research, she will oversee and promote research activities and funding.
Both say they will work together to strengthen educational opportunities at Mizzou Engineering.
“Research is not merely funding, but part of the student experience,” Guidoboni said. “I would love to see research activities embedded in classes. I would like to make it a more coordinated effort so that research experiences are part of learning.”
“One of the obvious overlaps between research and student services is graduate students, because they’re instrumental in research,” Fales said. “We need responsive coursework and curriculum to support not only students who plan to go into industry but also government labs, research labs, our own labs and other universities’ labs.”
Fales and Guidoboni also share a goal of boosting the number of students who choose Mizzou Engineering, especially those who are underrepresented in the engineering fields.
“We want to create an environment of positivity and inclusivity where everyone feels welcome and fulfilled,” Guidoboni said.
About Roger Fales
Fales previously served as director of student success and mentoring. In that role, he helped ensure that students have the resources and support they need to succeed at Mizzou Engineering.
He’ll continue to champion student success in his new role, including students have the digital tools they need. In addition to continuing to accommodate students who opt to learn virtually during COVID-19, he hopes to grow the number of students enrolling in degree and certificate programs through Missouri Online.
Fales has served on a number of departmental committees, campus-wide panels and in leadership roles. Most recently, he helped organize the 2nd Symposium on Engineering Teaching Excellence, a virtual event that allowed faculty to share best practices. Working with faculty will remain a key focus in his new role, Fales said.
“I’ve worked with faculty across campus to develop course curriculum,” he said. “It’s very important for the College of Engineering to work with other colleges’ and schools’ faculty across campus to collaborate, research and coordinate student-oriented activities, as well.”
In May, Fales was elected a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a prestigious organization that recognizes outstanding achievements.
About Giovanna Guidoboni
Guidoboni brings years of interdisciplinary research to her new position. Since coming to Mizzou in 2017, she’s worked across campus to solve problems related to health care, eldercare, plant sciences and artificial intelligence.
She plans to encourage that same sense of collaboration in her leadership role.
“I will promote research activities internally and in relation to other colleges and institutions in the U.S. and the world,” she said. “I want to be a liaison for faculty in the College and also between the College and other colleges.”
That includes promoting collaboration between Mizzou Engineering and the state of Missouri through the creation of startups and commercialization of research, she said.
Additionally, Guidoboni envisions the College working more closely with K-12 educators and students on STEM initiatives. She also hopes to host more virtual events to connect engineering students with international experts.
“A lot of this is going on already, but I would like to see it flourish more,” she said. “I’m excited to support students, faculty and staff. We’re all one team. Players may have different roles, but we’re all working toward the same goals.”