Dr. William P. Schonberg, the chair of civil, architectural and environmental engineering since 1999, has announced that he will step down from that position at the end of the semester. “Dr. Schonberg has demonstrated remarkable leadership as chair of a department that has grown and flourished during his 16-year tenure,” says Dr. Ian Ferguson, vice provost and dean for the College of Engineering and Computing. “I look forward to continuing our partnership as we build the College of Engineering and Computing’s reputation and visibility.” Ferguson plans to initiate a nationwide search for a new chair. Dr. Joel Burken, professor of civil and environmental engineering, will serve as interim chair until a new chair is brought on board.

Under Schonberg’s leadership, the department expanded from its historic civil engineering emphasis to develop new programs in environmental engineering and architectural engineering. The department graduated its first undergraduates in environmental engineering in 2004 and obtained accreditation for its architectural engineering program in 2006.

Missouri S&T will continue to benefit from Schonberg’s skills and experience on projects, including assisting the provost’s office with analysis and implementation of budget modeling.