Dr. Rich Wlezien, vice provost and dean of the College of Engineering and Computing since 2017, has announced his plans to step down from the position in August to return to a faculty appointment in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

“Please join me in thanking Dean Wlezien for his service,” says Dr. Colin Potts, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs. “Rich has been a steady leader of the college as its second dean, and he shepherded S&T through a highly successful ABET accreditation last year in difficult circumstances. Rich has been a great colleague as I have come on board, and I’m delighted that he will remain on the faculty of the mechanical and aerospace engineering department, where he plans to teach aerospace engineering and fluid dynamics.”

During his tenure as dean, Wlezien led efforts to achieve the college’s mission through the promotion of excellence in teaching, research and service. He is responsible for CEC’s external affairs, interacting with key constituencies including research sponsors and alumni.

“I thank the university for having had the opportunity to serve,” Wlezien says.

Wlezien was previously aerospace engineering chair at Iowa State University, a former researcher and program director at NASA, a program director at the Tactical Technology Office of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), chair of mechanical engineering at Tufts University, and researcher at Boeing.

A national search for the next dean will start soon.