Deans++
This is Dr. David Rosowsky
Starting July 15th, RPI’s School of Engineering will have a new dean, Dr. David Rosowsky. Dr. Rosowsky joins us from Texas A&M where he was a professor and head of the civil engineering department. During his time there, he expanded degree programs, hired more than 25 new faculty, and oversaw the implementation of a mentoring program (with both internal and external mentors.) We must say, Dr. Rosowsky’s resume is pretty impressive, and we hope that he is able to continue to do great things when he joins the Rensselaer family. We wish Dr. Rosowsky the best in his transition to the area (and all it’s quirky weather.) We look forward to seeing him around campus in the Fall, and if you see him looking lost, I’m sure he’d appreciate a “hello”, and a point in the right direction. (I know I would!)
Current acting dean Timothy Wei will return to his old position as professor and head of the MANE department.
photo: rpi.edu
UPDATE: Dr. Jackson’s announcement letter is after the jump.
To: The Rensselaer Community
From: Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D.
President
Professor of Physics
Professor of Engineering Sciences
Date: May 13, 2009
Subject: Appointment of the Dean of EngineeringI am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. David Rosowsky as Dean of the School of Engineering. Dr. Rosowsky will join Rensselaer on July 15, 2009.
Dr. Rosowsky is currently professor and head of the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University, where he is also the A.P. and Florence Wiley Chair in Civil Engineering. As Dean of the School of Engineering at Rensselaer, Dr. Rosowsky will be responsible for strengthening the prominence of the school as one of the top engineering institutions in the nation. Dr. Rosowsky will continue to improve School of Engineering undergraduate and graduate academic curricula and programs, and bolster its established excellence in sponsored research growth. With a group of very talented educators and researchers, Dr. Rosowsky will foster and continue to build a world-class faculty and staff to educate the engineer of the 21st century.
Dr. Rosowsky is an authority in the areas of structural reliability, probabilistic modeling of structural and environmental loads, and probability-based design. In recent years, his research has focused on the behavior of built environments subject to natural hazards; modeling and analysis of load effects on buildings and other structures, with particular emphasis on complex environmental phenomena; performance-based engineering for design, post-disaster condition assessment, and loss estimation studies; and reliability-based assessment of reinforced concrete bridges.
In his five years as department head at Texas A&M, Dr. Rosowsky oversaw the largest faculty expansion in that department’s history, hiring more than 25 new faculty. The department currently has nearly 1,200 undergraduate and 400 graduate students, and more than 70 full-time faculty, making it the largest civil engineering department in the country. Under his leadership, the departmental U.S. News & World Report rankings improved to 7th (undergraduate) and 8th (graduate) among all public institutions, placing it among the very best programs in the country.
At Texas A&M, Dr. Rosowsky has been the driver behind new degree programs, new research directions, and the development of significant new funds to support both undergraduate and graduate students. He created and implemented a Faculty Mentoring Program with both internal and external mentors, as well as industry liaisons for all new assistant professors. He supported the activities of the department’s Women’s Faculty Network, dedicated to mentoring women graduate students in Civil Engineering, as well as the creation of a new association of doctoral students.
In his work as head of the Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M, Dr. Rosowsky also worked closely with the Director of Development and the Texas A&M Foundation on strategic planning, gift solicitations, creation of endowments, fostering long-term relationships with potential donors, and stewardship, yielding more than $26 million in new gifts to the department since his arrival in 2004.
Dr. Rosowsky serves on a number of national and international technical committees relating to structural safety, reliability-based design of engineered wood structures, and design for natural hazards. He is a member of the editorial board for the journal Structural Safety and was formerly an associate editor of the ASCE Journal of Infrastructure Systems, the ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering, and Natural Hazards Review.
Dr. Rosowsky has received a number of research awards including the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Norman Medal in 1998, the ASCE Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize in 2001, and the T.K. Hsieh Award from the Institution of Civil Engineers in 2001. Prior to joining Texas A&M University in 2004, Dr. Rosowsky was a professor at Oregon State University, where he also held the Richardson Chair in Wood Engineering and Mechanics. In addition to being a licensed Professional Engineer, Dr. Rosowsky is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a fellow of the Institute of Science, Technology, and Public Policy at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University.
Dr. Rosowsky earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Tufts University in 1985 and 1987, respectively. He then went on to earn his doctorate in civil engineering from Johns Hopkins University in 1990.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Timothy Wei for service over the past year as Acting Dean of the School of Engineering. Dr. Wei will return to his position as Professor and Chair for the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering.
Dr. Rosowsky is an outstanding leader with an expansive vision for engineering and its role in creating the future. He brings considerable skills and experience to Rensselaer as we continue to move boldly into new fields that will be critically important in the 21st century.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Rosowsky to our community.
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