UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State has launched a national search for the dean of the College of Engineering. Charles Whiteman, dean of the Smeal College of Business, will chair the search committee.
Amr S. Elnashai will step down as Harold and Inge Marcus Dean of Engineering in July to begin his new appointment as vice chancellor and vice president of research and technology transfer at the University of Houston.
“The College of Engineering offers exceptional educational programs across the engineering spectrum and opportunities for innovative and collaborative research and partnerships —within the University and beyond our borders — that directly impact the world around us,” said Nicholas P. Jones, Penn State executive vice president and provost. “The successful candidate will provide strong leadership and inspiration to a college that is already a rising, formidable force in engineering research and education.”
The dean will lead faculty and staff who are committed to providing an extraordinary learning environment, conducting impactful research, enhancing the dialogue with society and the profession, and continuing to enrich an inclusive and diverse community committed to discovery and focused on collegiality and excellence.
Reporting directly to the executive vice president and provost of the University, the dean serves as the principal academic and administrative officer of the college. The College of Engineering provides instruction and research opportunities in 12 departments — acoustics; aerospace engineering; agricultural and biological engineering; architectural engineering; biomedical engineering; chemical engineering; civil and environmental engineering — as well as the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs.
The college also contains a number of cutting-edge research centers, including the Engineering Energy and Environmental Institute; the Faculties Engineering Institute; the Institute for Natural Gas Research and the Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute.
Established in 1896, the College of Engineering enrolls more than 8,000 undergraduate and 1,700 graduate students, and is one of the most comprehensive engineering programs in the country, emphasizing technical expertise combined with innovation, leadership, teamwork, entrepreneurship, communication skills, and global perspectives.
To apply, submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for four references via the University’s employment web site at https://psu.jobs/job/69155. Address all inquiries and nominations to Search Committee Chair Charles Whiteman, and send to PSUSearch@psu.edu. The search committee will review applications and nominations beginning March 13 and will continue to receive them until the position is filled. For more information about the College of Engineering, visit http://www.engr.psu.edu.
Members of the search committee are:
- Sven Bilén, head and professor, School of Engineering Design, Technology, and Professional Programs
- Blannie E. Bowen, vice provost for academic affairs
- Lauren Boyle, president, society of women engineers; engineering ambassador; senior in architectural engineering
- Amy Freeman, assistant dean of engineering diversity
- Reginald Hamilton, associate professor of engineering science and mechanics
- Peggy Johnson, professor of civil engineering
- Soundar Kumara, Allen E. Pearce & Allen M. Pearce Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering
- Thomas La Porta, Evan Pugh University Professor; Leonhard Chair Professor; director, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Jacob Langelaan, associate professor of aerospace engineering
- Moses Ling, associate professor of architectural engineering
- Zoubeida Ounaies, professor of mechanical engineering; associate head for administration, Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering
- Christina Randal, senior director of development, College of Engineering
- Thomas Richard, professor of agricultural and biological engineering; director, Penn State Institutes for Energy and the Environment
- Phil Savage, professor and head, Department of Chemical Engineering
- Charles Whiteman, search committee chair; dean, Smeal College of Business
- Pak Kin Wong, professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering