After a thorough national search, the thoughtful consideration of the Seaver Dean 搜索 Committee, and the participation of the Pepperdine community, interim dean Lee Kats has been appointed dean of 西维尔大学 effective immediately.

For more than 30 years, Kats has served Pepperdine in capacities ranging from faculty member to administrator, serving most recently as interim dean of 西维尔大学. In his new role as the chief academic and administrative officer of 佩珀代因大学’s liberal arts undergraduate school, Kats will succeed Michael Feltner, who concluded his appointment as the school’s dean on July 31, 2023, after serving nine years in the role. As dean, Kats will advance the school’s mission to integrate faith and learning and lead faculty in fostering a dynamic intellectual community on campus.

“Since his appointment as interim dean in 2023, Dean Kats has demonstrated outstanding leadership, a deep commitment to academic excellence and our Christian mission, and a clear vision for the future of 西维尔大学," says Pepperdine president Jim Gash. "Throughout his extensive tenure at Pepperdine, Dean Kats has put student success first and championed the advancement of faculty scholarship in innovative ways. His deep love of science and discovery has been evident both inside and outside the classroom as he has imagined new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. This next, important step in Dean Kats’ journey will continue to strengthen the University’s commitment to academic excellence, foster innovative opportunities for both students and faculty, and ensure Seaver remains at the forefront of preparing future leaders to make a meaningful impact in the world."

Kats served as Pepperdine’s vice provost from 2011 to 2023 and associate dean of research from 2001 until 2011. As vice provost, he worked closely with Pepperdine's Information Technology Department; 研究、资助和基金会关系办公室； and Office of Institutional Effectiveness. Kats also serves as academic director of the Center for Faith and the Common Good and is involved in the University's strategic planning process and implementation.

Kats is a professor of biology and the Frank R. Seaver Chair in Natural Science at Pepperdine, and he has been at the forefront of the University's research efforts since he began teaching at the University in 1990. His research focuses on the areas of animal ecology, tropical ecology, and conservation biology, and for more than 30 years his students and he have studied the conservation biology of local amphibians. While Kats conducts most of his research in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California, he also leads classes and conducts research in Costa Rica and Argentina. He has published numerous research articles on amphibian ecology and conservation ecology, served on the board of editors for the scientific journal 保护生物学 since 1996, and the editorial board of Hydrobiologia, which is the European scientific journal on freshwater biology, since 2000.

Kats earned a BA from Calvin College in Michigan and a PhD in biology from the University of Kentucky.