James Valentini

2025-02-06T16:27:17Z

Arwikicu: Outdated and biased language removed: "Students from more recent class years expressed concerns about the apparent 'cult of personality' that developed around Valentini as a dean, given Valentini's lack of accessibility to students (except for positive ph

[[File:JJValentini.jpg|thumb|James J. Valentini]]

'''James J. Valentini''' is a professor of Chemistry at Columbia and was the sixteenth [[Dean of Columbia College]]. He assumed the responsibilities of the deanship and of the position of Vice President for Undergraduate Education after [[Michele M. Moody-Adams]] resigned in the summer of [[2011]].

He was popularly known as '''Deantini''' (and for some reason not "Valendeani") after a [[Bwog]] naming competition, and was previously known by his initials '''JJV''' to many of his students.

==Academic career==

Valentini grew up in a small town in Appalachia and was the first in his family to attend college, graduating from the [[University of Pittsburgh]] as [[valedictorian]]. He received a master's degree in chemistry from the [[University of Chicago]] and a doctorate in chemistry from the [[University of California at Berkeley]], after which he completed a postdoc at [[Harvard]]. First a professor at the [[University of California, Irvine]], he has been a member of the Columbia faculty since [[1991]].

In [[2009]], Valentini was selected by his peers as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and earlier as a fellow of the American Physical Society for his research involving chemical reaction dynamics.

His teaching has included [[Organic Chemistry]] and a small seminar on chemistry for high school students as well. In [[2009]], he created a small seminar for non-science majors on energy conservation and general energy principles. The course was designed to fulfill the science requirement of the Core.

==Administrative roles==

[[File:Crowning.JPG|thumb|Deantini is spontaneously crowned at Commencement 2013.]]

Valentini has served in a number of administrative roles since joining the faculty. He served as chair of Columbia's [[Chemistry Department]] from [[2005]] to [[2008]] and was later the directer of the Chemistry Department’s undergraduate studies program. He has also served as chair of the [[Committee on Science Instruction]] for several years, and therefore represented both [[Frontiers of Science]] and the science requirement to the [[Committee on the Core Curriculum]] until assuming the deanship in [[2011]]. He also served on Columbia College's [[Committee on Instruction]], and was a member of the committee that selected [[Michele Moody-Adams]] after [[Austin Quigley]] stepped down.

[[File:Crowned.jpg|thumb|Deantini speaking at Commencement 2013]]

Deantini is widely popular among the students for his "aw-shucks" demeanor and general good cheer/friendliness. Around finals he'll often distribute chocolates around [[Butler Library]]. At [[Commencement]] [[2013]], some [[Columbia College]] student leapt up to crown him with one of the blue inflatable plastic crowns.

==Personal life==

Valentini married [[Teodolinda Barolini]], the current chair of the [[Italian Department]], in [[2001]]. They met while serving on the executive committee of the [[Faculty of Arts and Sciences]] in [[1994]].<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/11/style/teodolinda-barolini-james-valentini.html</ref> Notably, closer oversight by Arts and Sciences of Columbia College was one of the rumored causes of Moody-Adams' resignation.

== External links ==
* [http://bwog.com/2011/09/02/breaking-professor-james-valentini-is-the-new-interim-dean-of-cc/ BREAKING: Professor James Valentini is the New Interim Dean of CC], The Bwog, September 2, 2011
* [http://www.columbia.edu/cu/chemistry/fac-bios/valentini/faculty.html Faculty Profile], Columbia Faculty Profile
<references />
* [http://www.college.columbia.edu/cct/fall12/cover_story#.UaDfYmTTnpo Columbia College Today's cover story profile of Deantini]

{{succession|office=Dean of Columbia College|years=[[2011]]-[[2022]]|preceded=[[Michelle Moody-Adams]]|succeeded=[[Josef Sorett‎]]}}

[[Category:Deans of Columbia College|Valentini, James J.]]
[[Category:Chemistry professors|Valentini]]
[[Category:Alexander Hamilton Medal recipients|Valentini]]

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James Valentini