Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education

 

Dr. Daniel A. Wubah began his duties as vice president and dean for undergraduate education on February 1, 2009. As a participant in the university's highest level of leadership, he will influence the academic vision for undergraduate education, will advocate for its role in the university's mission, and will advance the contributions of undergraduate education in the university's strategic plan.

Prior to joining Virginia Tech, Wubah served as the associate provost for undergraduate academic affairs at the University of Florida, where he was responsible for undergraduate education, enrollment management, degree tracking, assessment, academic support, and honors programs.

While at the University of Florida, Wubah also held the position of professor of zoology. At Virginia Tech, he will hold a position as professor of biological sciences. Wubah has studied the obligately anaerobic zoosporic funi, dehalogenation of polychlorinated biphenyls and fiber degradation in wood-eating catfish, Panaque. He has received several research and training grants from federal agencies and private sources and has served as a consultant for several agencies including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Research Council, and Quality Education for Minorities Network. Wubah currently serves on advisory boards for the NSF Biology Directorate, the NSF Office of International Science and Engineering, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Program at the University of Arizona. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Project Kaleidoscope and the National Aquarium in Washington, D.C. For the past six years, Wubah has also directed a summer research program in Ghana that focuses on ecology, ethnobotany, conservation, and environmental biology.

Wubah began his academic career at Towson University in 1992 where he later became the chair of the Department of Biology. He then served as associate dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, special assistant to the president, and professor of biology at James Madison University from 2000 to 2007. While at JMU, Wubah designed and established the Centennial Scholars Program to provide access to students from under-represented groups in Virginia.

Wubah earned his bachelor's degrees in botany and education from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana in 1984, a master's degree in biology from the University of Akron in 1987, and a doctoral degree in botany and microbiology from the University of Georgia in 1990. In addition, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Environmental Protection Agency research lab in Athens, Georgia.