OF RECORD
Final Report of the Consultative Committee on the Selection of a Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science
The School of Engineering and Applied Science Dean Search Committee was convened by President Judith Rodin and Interim Provost Michael Wachter on October 30, 1998. Members of the committee were: Alyssa Abo (Undergraduate student, Biomedical Science, SEAS); Portonovo Ayyaswamy (Asa Whitney Professor of Dynamical Engineering, SEAS); Morris Cohen (Matsushita Professor of Manufacturing and Logistics, The Wharton School) chair; Peter F. Davies (Director, Institute for Medicine and Engineering, SEAS); Peter K. Davies (Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, SEAS); David Ege (Graduate student, Chemical Engineering, SEAS); Louis A. Girifalco (University Professor Materials Science and Engineering, SEAS); Vijay Kumar (Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Science, SEAS); Kathleen Hall Jamieson (Professor of Communication and Walter H. Annenberg Dean, Annenberg School for Communication); Mitchell Marcus (Chair, Computer and Information Science, SEAS); Solomon R. Pollack (Professor Bioengineering, SEAS); Mitchell I. Quain (School of Engineering and Applied Science Alumnus and Chair of the SEAS Board of Overseers); and Constance C. Goodman (Office of the Secretary) served as secretary to the committee.
In order to understand the issues and challenges facing the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the committee consulted widely with students, faculty, alumni and members of the administration. The goal of the committee was to find a dean who could provide the intellectual vision and leadership necessary to lead the School into the next century in a manner that will maintain and strengthen its academic excellence in education and research. The committee sought candidates with impeccable scholarly and administrative credentials, keen intellect, integrity and the broad knowledge necessary to lead the School as it enters this time of significant change in the field. The search focused on identifying a chief academic officer of the School who could be responsible for all educational programs, research activities, planning, budgeting, development and faculty appointments. The committee was especially interested in engaging candidates who could support the innovative inter- and multi-disciplinary programs currently underway within the School and across Schools in the University.
The committee solicited nominations from SEAS faculty, students, and alumni as well as from peer institutions across the country. Advertisements were placed in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Black Issues in Higher Education, Hispanic Outlook, The Wall Street Journal (Eastern and Western), Science, Chemical & Engineering News, IEE Spectrum, IIE Solutions, MRS Bulletin, Mechanical Engineering Magazine, and OR/MS Today. In addition, the search firm of A.T. Kearney was engaged to assist the committee in identifying candidates.
In all, the committee met 28 times and reviewed the credentials of 211 candidates, 19 of whom were women, 30 were identified as minorities, and nine were faculty members of the School.
A total of eight individuals were interviewed. At the completion of this process, and after careful deliberation, the committee submitted a set of recommendations to the President and Provost, who subsequently announced the appointment of Eduardo D. Glandt. An accomplished scholar, Dr. Glandt has been both the Carl V.S. Patterson Professor and the Russell P. and Elizabeth C. Heuer Professor of Chemical Engineering. He is also an outstanding teacher and in 1980 received the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. A graduate of the University of Buenos Aires, he received both his M.S. and Ph.D. from Penn. Dr. Glandt has served as Interim Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science since August 1998. The appointment will be submitted to the Trustees of the University for final approval on February 18, 2000.
--Morris Cohen, Chair
Almanac, Vol. 46, No. 12, November 16, 1999