Dr. Ralph E. Flori Jr., chair and Gulf Oil Professor of geosciences and geological and petroleum engineering, will step down from that position effective Dec. 31 to coordinate strategic planning initiatives within the College of Engineering and Computing. He will also assume greater responsibility leading Missouri S&T’s Project Lead The Way (PLTW) efforts. He has served as affiliate director of Missouri’s PLTW since 2005.

Flori became chair of GGPE in July 2010. Since that time, the number of students enrolled in that department has grown by 70 percent (from 318 to 540) and the department now has one of the largest concentrations of international students, at more than 200 this fall. He also plans to continue teaching in the petroleum engineering program.

Dr. Ian Ferguson, vice provost and dean for the College of Engineering and Computing, plans to initiate a nationwide search for a new chair and to announce an interim chair for the department soon. “I thank Dr. Flori for his tremendous leadership as chair of this flourishing department, and I look forward to working more closely with him as we build our new college’s reputation and visibility, nationally and internationally.”