Rob Clark Named University of Rochester Engineering Dean

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

DURHAM, NC -- Robert L. Clark, a longtime member of the Pratt School of Engineering faculty who served as Pratt dean for nearly a year, has been named the new dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of Rochester.

Clark, a specialist in acoustics and bionanomanufacturing, joined Duke’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science in 1992 as an assistant professor. He later was named Thomas Lord Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He assumed the Pratt school’s top position last year when Kristina Johnson stepped down and the university conducted a search for her successor.

“Rob Clark is a friend and colleague and has provided outstanding leadership to the Pratt School both as senior associate dean and, this past year, as dean,” said Provost Peter Lange, Duke’s top academic official. “He is a highly accomplished teacher and researcher who has enjoyed great success in his career and whose commitment to excellence are broadly recognized within the engineering profession. We thank him for his many contributions to Pratt and Duke over the years and wish him much success at the University of Rochester.”

During his deanship, a number of initiatives were completed, including the creation of the Gendell Center for Engineering Energy and Environment, a collaboration with Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences; the creation of a new curriculum on uncertainty analysis and optimization funded by a $5 million grant; and a $3.4 million scholarship fund honoring former Pratt dean Johnson.

Also under his leadership, Pratt began renovating about 20,000 square feet of space for student laboratories, classroom and project space. Included in this new student services space is a “hatchery” for start-up companies to facilitate interactions between undergraduate and graduate engineering students, MBA students, entrepreneurs in residence and venture capitalists. Also, the Duke Smart Home, a live-in laboratory for students, opened this spring, and was one of the first residential structures nationwide to receive LEED platinum environmental status.

Pratt’s new dean, Thomas Katsouleas, said, “Rob has been a terrific professor and leader at Pratt and although it will be a hard loss for us, all of us at Pratt wish him great success in leading Rochester to new heights. I personally look forward to working with Rob as a fellow dean to further the quality of higher education in engineering in the nation.”

Prior to his deanship, Clark served a number of leadership positions in Pratt, including chair of the Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Department and a number senior associate deanships. During this time, he was responsible for creating the Center for Biologically Inspired Materials and Material Systems, an interdisciplinary program focused on many aspects of nanotechnology. During the time he led the center, he raised about $12 million in research funding and attracted 25 faculty members to the center.

In 2006, he served on North Carolina Gov. Mike Easley’s Task Force on Nanoscience and North Carolina’s Economy. The University of Rochester news release about Clark’s appointment is online at http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=3214.