Terry Martin,
Interim Dean of Engineering
Professor of Electrical Engineering
On June 30, Ashok Saxena stepped down as dean of the College of Engineering in order to take a new position as vice chancellor of Galgotias University, a new private, multidisciplinary research university near Delhi, India.
Though Dr. Saxena will be missed, the college is grateful for the legacy he leaves behind: soaring enrollments, innovative programs such as the Freshman Engineering Program and the Engineering Career Awareness Program, a nationally competitive faculty and a brand new department of biomedical engineering. After he completes his two year term, we look forward to welcoming Dr. Saxena back as a faculty member in the department of mechanical engineering. The University will be conducting a dean’s search over the next year and it is our goal to have the new dean in place in the fall of 2013. More information can be found on our website, engr.uark.edu.
As interim dean, I am proud to lead the college during this next year. As a native Arkansan, an alumnus of the University of Arkansas and a member of the engineering faculty since 1983, I am pleased to be able to serve my university in this new role. Over the past eight years I have worked closely with Dean Saxena in the position of associate dean to address the opportunities and challenges in providing an engineering program of excellence for our students. I am also looking forward to this opportunity to get to know the alumni and friends of the College of Engineering. I encourage you to catch up with the college at our Homecoming Open House on November 3, and at the Alumni Awards Banquet in the spring.
In this issue of the magazine, we celebrate the history of the college, and I invite you to help us celebrate our future. In addition to another record-breaking class of freshman, we are welcoming eight new faculty members this year, including two new members of the biomedical engineering department. The college is growing rapidly, in both size and reputation, and now is a great time to show your support and help us move into a new era.
Warm Regards,
Terry Martin