PROVO — C. Shane Reese, a professor in BYU’s Department of Statistics, has been named dean of the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences.

Reese will begin his five-year term as dean on July 1. He is replacing Scott Sommerfeldt, who has been serving as dean since 2007.

“Shane Reese brings a distinguished record of teaching and research to this new assignment,” Brent W. Webb, academic vice president, said in a statement. “We are confident of his commitment to continue the college’s legacy of student-centered education. We express appreciation to Scott Sommerfeldt for his decade of visionary and energetic leadership.”

Reese began teaching at BYU in 2001 as an assistant professor of statistics. From 2010-12, he served as an associate department chairman and the graduate coordinator.

Reese earned a doctorate degree in statistics from Texas A&M University. He earned his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in statistics from BYU.

His academic areas of interest are Bayesian hierarchical models, Bayesian optimal experimental design and sports statistics. He has worked with nuclear weapons and helped the National Academy of Science monitor the demolition of two chemical weapons stockpiles. And he predicts the power of solar storms and helped government scientists understand a shape-shifting mass of energy on the edge of our galaxy.