You see Vanderbilt engineers very often moving into leadership positions. I think that鈥檚 because of the broader education they get at Vanderbilt.”
鈥擠ean Ken Galloway, Vanderbilt School of Engineering
Ken Galloway, dean of Vanderbilt鈥檚 School of Engineering for 16 years, will transition to full-time faculty member July 1. Galloway is only the seventh dean in the history of the School of Engineering, which marks its 125th anniversary this year.
One of his achievements has been the recruitment and support of highly qualified faculty, who in turn have helped attract unprecedented research funding. During Galloway鈥檚 tenure, research expenditures from external sources grew from less than $10 million to more than $60 million annually.
鈥淭he dean has overseen the recruitment and retention of outstanding young faculty members who will contribute to Vanderbilt鈥檚 success for decades to come,鈥� says Art Overholser, BE鈥�65, senior associate dean and professor of biomedical engineering and chemical engineering. Since 2000, 27 School of Engineering faculty members have received National Science Foundation CAREER Awards.
Some of those hires have been fueled by the generous funding of 12 endowed chairs, which are vital to recruiting top faculty. Eleven of those were awarded within the past 10 years.
The physical appearance of the School of Engineering has changed dramatically as well. Thanks to Vanderbilt alumni and friends who answered the call for upgraded facilities, the Featheringill Hall鈥揓acobs Hall complex was completed in 2002. More recently, the university acquired space on Music Row at 16th Avenue South that is now home to the Institute for Software Integrated Systems, one of several centers and institutes under the School of Engineering aegis. The newest, the Vanderbilt Initiative in Surgery and Engineering, continues an evolving partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Galloway, BA鈥�62, has been a national leader and advocate before Congress for engineering and science education. Last year he was inducted into the Academy of Fellows of the American Society for Engineering Education. He is immediate past chair of the ASEE Engineering Deans Council and has served on the ASEE board of directors. He is currently a candidate to become president-elect of the ASEE.
The reputation of the School of Engineering has grown markedly during Galloway鈥檚 tenure. Engineering attracts some of the brightest students at Vanderbilt, with more than 4,300 of the most qualified applicants vying for 320 spaces in this year鈥檚 engineering and computer science freshman class. Women make up 34 percent of the current student body鈥攁bout twice the national average for engineering schools.
鈥淥ne of the really enjoyable things about having been dean at Vanderbilt is the opportunity to meet our alumni and to see how well they have used their Vanderbilt educations,鈥� says Galloway. 鈥淵ou see Vanderbilt engineers very often moving into leadership positions. I think that鈥檚 because of the broader education they get at Vanderbilt.鈥�
Succeeding Galloway as dean will be Philippe Fauchet, currently chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Rochester. Fauchet begins work at Vanderbilt July 1. Look for more about Fauchet in the next issue of Vanderbilt Magazine.