December 20, 2005
Jamieson to serve as interim dean of Purdue's College of Engineering
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Leah H. Jamieson, an associate dean in Purdue's College of Engineering and a named professor of electrical and computer engineering, today (Tuesday, Dec. 20) was appointed to serve as interim dean of the college.
Jamieson will succeed Linda P.B. Katehi, who on Monday (Dec. 19) was named provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, effective April 1. Purdue Provost Sally Mason said Jamieson will assume her interim duties at Purdue on March 1 to allow for a smooth transition.
Mason said she will appoint a committee to conduct a national search for a new dean immediately. The committee will be chaired by Richard A. Cosier, dean of the Krannert School of Management and Leeds Professor of Management.
"Leah is very well-qualified to take on the duties of interim dean and ensure strong leadership as we conduct a search for a successor to Linda Katehi," Mason said. "She is familiar with the vision of the College of Engineering and has the leadership abilities necessary to guide the college forward. This will allow us time to seek out the most qualified person to serve as dean without sacrificing the momentum we have established under the leadership of Linda Katehi."
Jamieson said, "We are very fortunate to have a leadership team in place that is dedicated to moving the College of Engineering ahead. I look forward to working with my colleagues to not only preserve the legacy and reputation of Purdue engineering, but also to make sure that we continue looking toward the future."
In addition to serving as associate dean for undergraduate education and as the Ransburg Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Jamieson also is co-founder and director of Purdue's Engineering Projects in Community Service, known as EPICS. EPICS, which has become a national model for engineering service-learning, was formed in 1995 to work with not-for-profit organizations to help solve community engineering problems.
The program began at Purdue with 40 students and has grown to include more than 250 students each semester, as well as serving as a model program that has been adopted at 16 universities and one high school. In February, EPICS was honored with the National Academy of Engineering's $500,000 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education.
Jamieson, who joined the Purdue faculty in 1976, earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctoral degree in electrical engineering and computer science from Princeton University. She is a newly elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the recipient of several awards in research and teaching, including the 2002 Indiana Professor of the Year and a National Science Foundation Director's Award for Distinguished Teaching Scholars. She was recently elected to serve as IEEE's 2007 president and is currently a vice president of the institute. Jamieson also has served on advisory committees of the National Science Foundation.
The College of Engineering's strategic plan, in parallel to that of the university, calls for increasing its faculty to 395 by the 2007-08 academic year. The plan also includes more than $175 million for facilities and equipment.
The College of Engineering is made up of 12 schools and departments: aeronautics and astronautics, agricultural and biological, biomedical, chemical, civil, construction engineering and management, electrical and computer, engineering education, industrial, materials, mechanical, and nuclear. The college also includes the Division of Engineering Professional Practice and programs such as Engineering Projects in Community Service, Minority Engineering Program and the Women in Engineering Program.
In the fall 2005, the college included more than 6,200 undergraduate students and more than 2,200 graduate students, making it one of the largest in the nation.
Writer: Brian Zink, (765) 494-2080, bzink@purdue.edu
Sources: Sally Mason, (765) 494-9709, sfmason@purdue.edu
Leah Jamieson, (765) 494-4966, lhj@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Related news release:
Purdue engineering dean to be named new provost at Illinois
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