Chaden Djalali is one of five finalists for the dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Djalali received his bachelor’s degree in 1978 and his master’s degree in 1979, both in physics, from the University of Paris XI. He then received his Ph.D. in nuclear physics from the Institut de Physique Nucleaire Orsay in Paris, France in 1981.

In 2004, Djalali became the chair of the department of the physics and astronomy at the University of South Carolina. During his career his main research has focused on intermediate energies or hadronic physics, studying structure of the proton and the neutron and their interactions.

Djalali hopes to bring a passion for the liberal arts and sciences if he is chosen as the new dean and believes that the research and interest in students at Iowa State creates an exciting job opportunity.

Djalali will speak at an open forum on Tuesday. The forum will begin at 3:30 p.m. in 1951 Food Sciences. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to attend and ask questions.

Two dean finalists, Albert Boggess and Carolyn Cutrona, held their open forums last week. The last two finalists will arrive on campus later this week, each with a separate open forum.