Skip to main content

Brother Leonard A. Mann, S.M. Chair in the Sciences

Welcome

UD students participate in class

The Brother Leonard A. Mann, S.M. Chair in the Sciences recognizes outstanding accomplishments in and contributions to scholarship in the sciences. The position is named in honor of Brother Leonard A. Mann, S. M., former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of physics. Bro. Mann has been described as a true servant-leader in the Marianist tradition. He tirelessly served his church, his order, his colleagues, and most of all, his students. At the time of his death in 1995, Bro. Mann had served as a Marianist brother for 61 years.

The late Dr. Panagiotis “Takis” Tsonis of the Department of Biology was installed in 2002 as the first Mann Chair. Dr. Robert Brecha, professor of physics, was the second chair. Dr. Peter Powers of the Department of Physics served as the third chair until his death in 2014. Dr. Shawn Swavey, Department of Chemistry, served as the fourth chair.

The current chair is Dr. Umesh Haritashya, Department of Geology. Dr. Haritashya joined the department in 2008 after completing a post-doctoral research appointment in NASA's international GLIMS (Global Land Ice Measurements from Space) project at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He received his Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), India. He is an environmental geologist and has received more than $3 million in research grants for his research focusing on climate change and its effect on the landscape of snow, ice and glaciers.

In the News
Sciences 10.28.21

University of Dayton geologist Umesh Haritashya was recognized in August with a 2020-21 SOCHE Faculty Excellence Award for his contributions to understanding the relationship between climate change and natural disasters in alpine environments.

Read more
CONTACT

Brother Leonard A. Mann, S.M. Chair in the Sciences

Science Center
300 College Park
Dayton, Ohio 45469
937-229-2939
Email