July 20, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Robert Detweiler
(805) 756-2186
New Dean for Cal Poly College of Engineering
SAN LUIS OBISPO -- Cal Poly President Warren J. Baker has appointed Mohammad N. Noori as the new dean of the university's College of Engineering.
Noori,
who will take the position in mid-October, succeeds Dean Peter Y.
Lee, who is retiring after leading Cal Poly's nationally recognized
engineering program for the past 17 years.
"Dr. Noori is a visionary academician, an accomplished scholar, a consensus builder and an experienced administrator with a truly outstanding record of accomplishments," said President Baker in making the announcement today. "We are delighted to have an exemplary academic leader to guide the College of Engineering in its next phase of development."
Cal Poly Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert Detweiler said that Cal Poly interviewed a number of excellent candidates to lead the university's engineering college before selecting Noori. Over 60 candidates were considered for the position by a consultative committee with members representing the faculty, staff, students and the College of Engineering Advisory Board.
It was clear, Detweiler said, that "Dr. Noori has established himself as a leader in his field and has contributed profoundly to the entire spectrum of engineering education. He is a highly competent, dynamic individual who will be a strong asset for Cal Poly."
Noori said he was honored to accept the position. "I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work with Cal Poly's outstanding faculty, staff and students in meeting the opportunities and challenges that are transforming engineering education," he said. "Cal Poly has achieved national recognition of its engineering programs and is well positioned to excel further in undergraduate and graduate education."
Noori presently holds the endowed R.J. Reynolds Professorship at North Carolina State University and has 13 years of experience as head of two large academic departments at both private and state institutions. He served as the head of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Worcester Polytechnic Institute for eight years prior to his five-year term as the head of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State.
During his tenure at NC State, Noori was one of the members of the multi-university team that prepared the winning proposal founding the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA). The NIA is a partnership of six major universities, the NASA Langley Research Center, and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Foundation. That partnership could potentially generate as much as $379 million in NASA funding for NIA over the next 15 years to develop the next generation of aerospace research, innovative education, and technology transfer.
Noori also served as one of the founding members of the board of directors of NIA as well the director of the NIA program at North Carolina State. He has also served as the chair of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' national committee of Mechanical Engineering Department Heads and is a Fellow of the ASME.
He resides in Morrisville, N.C., with his wife, Nahid, and a son and daughter. He holds three degrees in Civil Engineering: a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia; an M.S. from Oklahoma State University; and a B.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
About the Cal Poly College of Engineering
The College of Engineering has nearly 130 full-time faculty members
and 4,800 students enrolled in 12 baccalaureate and nine master's
degree programs. The college is the largest undergraduate engineering
college west of the Rockies. For more details, visit its Web site
at http://www.ceng-web.calpoly.edu/index.php.
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