Joel Rosenthal, a member of the University of Delaware faculty since 2010, has been named acting dean of the College of Arts and Sciences through the start of the spring semester, effective Nov. 6, Interim Provost Bill Farquhar announced today. 

Rosenthal, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, currently serves as associate dean for research and graduate academic affairs in CAS. An announcement about who will assume associate dean responsibilities is forthcoming.

Caleb Everett, who has served as CAS dean since March 2025, is taking a period of personal leave due to a family emergency.

“I’m grateful to Dr. Rosenthal for stepping into this role during the absence of Dean Everett, ensuring that the College of Arts and Sciences continues to have strong and stable leadership,” Farquhar said. 

Rosenthal said he is honored to serve CAS by taking on this responsibility, and that his thoughts are with Dean Everett and his family during this time. 

“We have an exceptional community of faculty, staff, and students across CAS, and I'm committed to working alongside our leadership team to support them and sustain the College's momentum in teaching, research, and creative scholarship,” Rosenthal said.

About Joel Rosenthal

A native of Queens, New York, Rosenthal earned his bachelor’s degree from New York University and his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellow at MIT before joining the UD faculty in 2010.

An accomplished scholar in inorganic chemistry, catalysis and electrochemistry, Rosenthal’s research interests span sustainable energy, chemical synthesis and human health. His laboratory develops catalysts and chemical processes that harness electricity and light to drive valuable chemical transformations, including carbon dioxide conversion, hydrogen production and sustainable electrosynthesis. His group also develops light-responsive molecular systems for biomedical applications.

Rosenthal was named the 2014 Gerard J. Mangone Young Scholar by the UD Francis Alison Society. He previously served as chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and as associate chair for graduate studies and research in the department.