André Hudson named dean of RIT’s College of Science

André Hudson has been named dean of the College of Science at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Hudson is a prominent biochemistry and microbiology researcher who has served as interim dean of the science college since August of 2022. He was selected after a national search and assumes the role May 1.

“André is a passionate and enthusiastic advocate for science who leads by example,” said Ellen Granberg, RIT provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “The university executed a thorough national search for this role, and we were proud to find that the best candidate was already here. His experience will be critical to the college as it expands research, grows Ph.D. education, and prepares graduates who will expand the frontiers of science and mathematics to solve global challenges.”

Hudson joined RIT’s faculty in 2008 and later became head of the Thomas H. Gosnell School of Life Sciences (GSoLS). He is an active researcher, teacher, and mentor.

“Every team member in the College of Science plays a vital and important role in inspiring and teaching our students—and I’m excited to work with them all, in addition to our counterparts across the university,” said Hudson. “As a leader, I believe that constant innovation, along with strategic and tactical changes, will be absolutely necessary for building and maintaining a highly functional and competitive environment within our college.”

As a trained biochemist, Hudson’s research is vested in the areas of enzymology and genomics. He is an author or co-author on more than 90 books, articles, and book chapters and has mentored and published with students ranging from the post-doctoral to the high school levels. 

Throughout his career, his lab has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and several industry partners. He regularly serves as a panel review member for NIH, NSF, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In 2022, Hudson was named one of the “50 Most Important African-Americans in Technology” by the Journal of Black Innovation. In 2023, he was awarded the Isaac L. Jordan Sr. Faculty Pluralism Award—a university-wide award that honors faculty members for their significant contributions to enhance diversity and pluralism at RIT.

Hudson’s leadership experience includes service on numerous school, college, and institute committees, including the GSoLS Curriculum Committee, the College of Science Faculty Evaluation and Development Committee, which he has chaired since 2014, and the RIT Isaac L. Jordan Faculty Pluralism Award Selection Committee, which he has chaired since 2013. He is an active member of the Faculty Senate.

Hudson was born on the island of Jamaica and emigrated to the U.S. in 1992, at the age of 14. He received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Virginia Union University, one of the nation’s historically Black colleges and universities. In 2006, he received his Ph.D. from Rutgers University, focusing on the biochemistry and metabolism of amino acids.

Hudson resides in Hilton, N.Y., with his wife, Candice, a teacher in the Hilton School District, and son, Michael.