Welcome, Interim Dean David Moffet

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

Earlier this year, I shared that S.W. Tina Choe, Ph.D., will conclude her service as dean of the LMU Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering at the end of the 2026 calendar year and, following a well-earned sabbatical, return to the faculty. As we prepare for this transition, I want to reiterate my gratitude to Tina for her dedicated leadership and the many contributions she has made to Seaver College and LMU.

Today, I am pleased to announce that David Moffet, Ph.D., associate dean and professor of chemistry and biochemistry, will serve as interim dean of Seaver College for a year and a half, effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Dave brings to this role more than two decades of experience at LMU as a teacher, scholar, mentor, and academic leader. Since joining the university in 2005, he has served Seaver College and LMU in numerous leadership capacities, including as chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and, most recently, as associate dean. He also served for seven years as chair of LMU’s Institutional Review Board, helping to strengthen research practices and support faculty scholarship across the university.

An accomplished teacher-scholar, Dave’s research focuses on protein misfolding associated with Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 diabetes. His longstanding research collaboration with Mount Saint Mary’s University has been supported by four National Institutes of Health grants totaling well over $1.2 million. Earlier this year, that work reached an important milestone when LMU and Mount Saint Mary’s secured a U.S. patent for a synthetic peptide designed to protect insulin-producing pancreatic cells from damage associated with Type 2 diabetes. Throughout his scholarship, Dave has engaged approximately 200 undergraduate researchers, demonstrating a deep commitment to involving students as active participants in meaningful scientific research.

Dave’s experience as associate dean has given him a broad understanding of Seaver College, its academic programs, faculty, staff, students, and priorities. As interim dean, Dave will be especially well positioned to guide Seaver College through this period of transition while helping the college respond thoughtfully and ambitiously to a rapidly changing landscape in science, engineering, higher education, and the world our students are preparing to enter. His deep knowledge of Seaver College, collaborative approach to leadership, and commitment to LMU’s mission will provide a strong foundation for building on the college’s strengths while identifying new opportunities for innovation, partnership, and impact.

Please join me in congratulating Dave and thanking him for his willingness to serve Seaver College and LMU in this important role. I also extend my continued gratitude to Tina for her exceptional leadership and for all she has done to position the college for a strong future.

With appreciation, 

Kat Weaver, Ph.D. 
Executive Vice President and Provost 
Professor of Biology