Dr. Shishir Mathur has been selected as the College of Social Sciences’ inaugural Associate Dean of Research. He will also continue as a Professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and the Director of the Certificate in Real Estate Development (CRED). He has been a member of the SJSU faculty since 2004. Shishir received his Ph.D. in Urban Design and Planning from the University of Washington. He holds a Master in Urban Planning from School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, India; and a Bachelor in Architecture from Regional Engineering College, Tiruchirappalli, India.

Shishir strongly believes in nurturing a culture of high-quality research in the College of Social Sciences and across SJSU by supporting, encouraging, recognizing, and celebrating faculty and student research, scholarship, and creative activity (RSCA). He values the use of a variety of research methods and is sensitive to the discipline-specific nature of RSCA outputs. In his own work, he employs a variety of research methods that range from semi-structured interviews to econometric modeling. He disseminates his research by writing books, book chapters, journal articles, and research monographs; and by presenting at academic and professional meetings, workshops, and seminars. As the Associate Dean of Research, Shishir will coordinate all of the college’s RSCA programs. He will continue the strong work of Dr. Ruma Chopra (Professor, Department of History), who serves as the college’s RSCA Director in the 2015-2016 academic year.

Shishir begins his term as Associate Dean of Research in August, 2016.