Forums and receptions set for College of Engineering dean candidates

Forums and receptions have been scheduled for the four candidates for the dean of the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech. The events are open to faculty members, staff members, and students.

Each candidate will make a 10-15 minute presentation on the topic "Virginia Tech's College of Engineering: Leadership, Partnership, Quality, Innovation, Results." The presentation will be followed by questions and discussion.

The forum for Jerry M. Harris, chair of the Department of Geophysics at Stanford University, will be Monday, March 21, 4 to 5 p.m. in the Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center (DBHCC) auditorium, followed by a reception in the West Commonwealth room.

The forum for Richard C. Benson, head of the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering at Penn State University, is scheduled for Thursday, March 24, 4 to 5 p.m. in the DBHCC East Commonwealth Room, followed by a reception in the East Commonwealth and Private Dining Rooms.

The forum for William R. Knocke, the W. Curtis English Professor and head of the Charles E. Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech, will be held on Monday, March 28, 4 to 5 p.m. in DBHCC auditorium, followed by a reception in the East Commonwealth Room.

The forum for Robert L. Clark Jr., the Thomas Lord Professor of Engineering, senior associate dean for research, and director of the Center for Biologically Inspired Materials and Materials Systems at Duke University, will take place on Wednesday, March 30, 4-5 p.m. in the DBHCC West Commonwealth Room, followed by a reception in the Blue Ridge and Private Dining Rooms.

Jerry M. Harris

Harris joined the faculty at Stanford in 1988 and was associate professor and then professor of geophysics until 2000, when he was named department chair. He has also worked as a research geophysicist for Standard Oil Production Company in Dallas, senior research specialist for Exxon Production Research Company in Houston, and staff engineer for both the Hughes Aircraft Co. and the Communications Satellite Corporation.

He has been a Stanford University Fellow and a Distinguished Lecturer of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists and American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

Harris earned a Ph.D. and master's degree in electrical engineering from the California Institute of technology and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Mississippi.

Richard C. Benson

At Penn State, Benson has headed mechanical and nuclear engineering since 1998 and headed the university's Department of Mechanical Engineering from 1995 to 1998. He chaired the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Rochester from 1992 to 1995 and was the associate dean for graduate studies for that university's College of Engineering and Applied Science from 1989 to 1992. He has also been a consultant specializing in the mechanics of flexible structures and the design of office machinery and a technical specialist and project manager for the Xerox Corporation.

Benson is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a professional engineer registered in New York State.

He received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia, and a bachelor's degree in aerospace and mechanical science from Princeton University.

William R. Knocke

Knocke has headed the civil and environmental engineering department at Virginia Tech since 1995. A faculty member at the university since 1979, he moved through the professorial ranks, becoming the English Professor in 1992. He has also been a visiting professor of civil engineering at the University of Massachusetts.

Knocke is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a professional engineer registered in Virginia.

He received his Ph.D. and master's degree in environmental engineering and a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the University of Missouri -- Columbia.

Robert L. Clark Jr.

Clark has worked since 1992 at Duke, where he was director of the Center for Applied Control, and the Jeffrey N. Vinik Professor before moving into his current positions. He has also been the vice president and senior research scientist for Adaptive Technologies Incorporated in Blacksburg and managed the Noise and Vibration Group in Michelin America's Research and Development Corporation in Greenville, S.C.

Clark is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

He received his Ph.D., master's degree and bachelor's degree , all in mechanical engineering, from Virginia Tech.

Full resumes are available on the Office of the Provost website, http://www.provost.vt.edu/.