After a competitive internal search, the Morehead Honors College will welcome James Warnock as its new associate dean on June 1. Warnock is currently chair of the School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering and a professor in the College of Engineering.
James Warnock
Warnock has worked for the College of Engineering since 2017, when he was named founding chair for the School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering. The school experienced significant growth during his tenure. Graduate student enrollment nearly doubled; 10 new faculty members were hired; and two new PhD programs were created.
Warnock was also instrumental in developing partnerships across campus and with international institutions. These partnerships include Double Dawgs programs with the College of Pharmacy, the transition of the Master of Biomanufacturing and Bioprocessing program to the College of Engineering, and a dual degree program in China with the Beijing University of Chemical Technology.
An active researcher in biomanufacturing workforce development, Warnock has earned international attention for his work in advancing the field of engineering education.
In his new role with the Morehead Honors College, Warnock will oversee Honors academic advising and the Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities. He will also be responsible for representing Honors and CURO regionally and nationally, coordinating Honors curricular offerings, supervising several staff members and working on future Honors initiatives.
“I really wanted to be in a position that is very student-facing and to have the opportunity work with students across campus, from engineering and business and journalism and political science and history and all these different disciplines,” Warnock said. “That diversity of perspective brings a lot of richness.”
CURO interest has climbed in recent years as numbers have increased for CURO research awards, course credit, Symposium attendance, and conference grant participation, and Warnock emphasizes the value of undergraduate research.
“Research can be a very formative experience for students, and making sure students have those opportunities and have access to that is very important,” he said. “I look forward to helping faculty see the contributions students can make through research and not miss the treasure trove of talent right in front of them.”
In addition to his role at UGA, Warnock serves as adjunct director of professional offerings for ABET, the engineering college accreditation board. Before coming to UGA, he was a professor and associate dean for academic affairs at Mississippi State University’s Bagley College of Engineering.
Warnock holds a bachelor’s degree in biological science from the University of Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. He earned a master’s in biochemical engineering and a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Birmingham. He was a postdoctoral research fellow for the Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University Center for the Engineering of Living Tissues.
—by Stephanie Schupska, Morehead Honors College
