Danny Stockli was named interim Dean of the Jackson School of Geosciences, according to a Jan. 29 announcement sent to students and faculty.

Claudia Mora, former dean of the school, announced her departure Jan. 29, and announced Stockli’s new position in a letter to students and faculty. 

Stockli, the former Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences chair, said he is excited for the new role and is looking to modernize the school. Stockli said he advocates for artificial intelligence use in the field of geosciences as a tool, but not a reliance.

“It’s our job to get students to use AI responsibly, effectively and efficiently,” Stockli said. “It’s our job to not close our eyes.”

Stockli said he is excited to further Jackson’s work with the leaders of other University programs and Texas companies and organizations. He said the school, while small in enrollment, may have the agency to make a significant impact on the state.

“It’s really important … to stress the impact we have on the state of Texas,” Stockli said. “We take this role not just to do basic, fundamental, exciting research that excites the top academics in this country or the world, but we also do really impactful work for the state.” 

Stockli said that this transition comes at a very revolutionary time in the world of geosciences, and the work done by researchers in the school impacts everyone, not just scientists.

“Stakeholders and decision makers critically depend on the information we provide, and so it’s also important for us to train our students in how to actually communicate with stakeholders and politicians, because otherwise it’s a science in a vacuum,” Stockli said.

William Inboden, Executive Vice President and Provost, praised Stockli’s new role in a letter to the Jackson School, citing his research and leadership in the past several years. 

Stockli joined the school in 2011 and has seen significant change to the school, Inboden wrote, including the launch of the climate system science major and an overhaul of the undergraduate curriculum.

Because Stockli was hired late in the semester, he is actively teaching a graduate class. He said this responsibility has been slightly daunting in his transitional period.

“I’m taking 15 students to Oman on Monday,” Stockli said. “As the dean, I’m not supposed to teach. I probably will still teach here and there, but I love working with students.” 

Peter Flemings, a Jackson School of Geosciences professor, was named the new Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences interim chair by Stockli. In a news release, Stockli praised Flemings’ strong research and said he will be a great fit for the role.

Stockli said his new role is a big step towards making a positive change in the school. 

“When you’re in an administrative role … you can really make a difference,” Stockli said. “You recruit top talent. That’s what we do here.”