Starting in the fall semester, three College of Arts and Sciences departments will welcome new department heads. Each brings a distinct vision for supporting students, advancing scholarship and building on the strengths of their departments. Their experiences span a range of disciplines and institutions, and each adds expertise in teaching, research and service to the College of Arts and Sciences’ leadership team.
Dr. Istvan Szunyogh
Department of Atmospheric Sciences
Dr. Istvan Szunyogh joined Texas A&M in 2009 as an associate professor and was promoted to full professor in 2012. He earned a Ph.D. in earth sciences from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest and a diploma in meteorology from Eötvös Loránd University.
Before coming to Texas A&M, he held research positions at the University of Maryland, College Park, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In that time, Szunyogh received the Dean’s Distinguished Achievement Award for Research from the College of Geosciences in 2017.
His research explores weather prediction, atmospheric modeling, predictability and machine learning-based forecasting. His publication record includes work on forecasting, atmospheric models and the use of machine learning in weather prediction.
These topics also reflect his priorities for the department. Szunyogh noted that the rapid growth of artificial intelligence in atmospheric sciences is both a challenge and an opportunity. For example, private technology companies have quickly become major players in atmospheric model development, changing a long-standing relationship between federal agencies and academic researchers.
He will also emphasize the department’s undergraduate meteorology program, which he calls the “crown jewel” of its academic mission.
Szunyogh served as chair of the department’s graduate committee and was graduate director of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences from 2010 to 2023. In that role, he led the graduate program and served as acting department head when needed. He has also served on college-level committees, including the Dean’s Advisory Council-Tenure Track, the Faculty Advisory Council-Tenure Track and graduate curriculum committees.
Dr. Mikko Tuhkanen
Department of English
Dr. Mikko Tuhkanen, professor of English, joined Texas A&M in 2008 as an assistant professor in the Department of English and the Africana Studies program. He was promoted to associate professor in 2010 and full professor in 2020.
He is internationally trained with academic experience in Finland, the Netherlands and the United States. He holds two doctoral degrees: in English from the University of Tampere in Finland and in comparative literature from the University at Buffalo. His scholarship explores 20th -century American literature, especially African American literature in transnational contexts, as well as literary and critical theory. His work spans comparative literature, theory, film and cultural analysis.
He mentioned three values to describe his approach to leadership: departmental excellence, fair recognition of work and contributions, and the exchange of ideas.
His service at Texas A&M includes several terms on the Graduate Studies Committee, work on promotion and tenure committees, and service as interim associate director of graduate studies from 2023-24. At the college level, he also served on the Research Advisory Committee and the Dean’s Committee for Jointly Appointed Faculty.
Tuhkanen described the Department of English as one with exceptional research and academic promise and framed the position as a continuation of his long-term service.
Dr. Oliver W. Frauenfeld
Department of Geography
Dr. Oliver W. Frauenfeld, professor and associate department head of geography, joined Texas A&M in 2010 as an assistant professor and was promoted to associate professor in 2016 and full professor in 2023.
He earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in environmental sciences from the University of Virginia. His doctoral research focused on Northern Hemisphere circulation variability and the Pacific Ocean.
Before joining Texas A&M, Frauenfeld worked as a research scientist with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado. His research interests include surface-atmosphere interactions, synoptic climatology, Arctic environments and the cryosphere.
Much of his scholarship examines how climate, land, ice and atmosphere interact, especially in cold regions. His publication record includes work on permafrost, Arctic precipitation, frozen ground, sea ice decline, tropical cyclone precipitation in Texas and the impact of land cover change on climate.
Frauenfeld received The Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching in 2020 and the Dean’s Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching from the College of Geosciences in 2014. He was also named a Montague-Center for Teaching Excellence Scholar for 2013-14.
In the classroom, Frauenfeld has taught courses including Planet Earth, Global Climatic Regions and Arctic Climates. His work with students extends to graduate advising, with completed graduate projects on climate change, hurricanes, Arctic sea ice, wildfire characteristics, monsoon variability, permafrost degradation and GIS-based environmental research.
He describes Texas A&M geography as a department known for its strength across human geography, physical geography and geospatial techniques. Frauenfeld outlined several priorities for the department, including revitalizing the graduate program, improving faculty and student solidarity, and increasing the external visibility of the department and discipline.
His leadership approach is grounded in fairness, compassion and consensus-building with an emphasis on transparent decision-making, respect for each member of the department and strategic planning aligned with college and university priorities.
He describes his new role as an opportunity to serve and support the department’s collective future.