Stenger Named Interim Provost

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Harvey G. Stenger Jr., dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, has been named the University at Buffalo's interim provost.

Stenger's appointment, effective April 11, was announced today by Officer-in-Charge Satish K. Tripathi.

As UB's chief academic officer, he will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of the university's academic vision.

A national search for a permanent provost is expected to begin in late summer.

"In his nearly five years at UB, Harvey has provided exemplary leadership for the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, transforming UB Engineering into one of the top engineering schools in the country," Tripathi said. "He is committed to innovation and research excellence, and has shown great success in forging strong and dynamic partnerships, both inside and outside the university."

Tripathi pointed in particular to Stenger's collaboration with Michael Cain, dean of the School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, in launching the Department of Biomedical Engineering, a joint venture between the two schools that focuses on developing groundbreaking medical devices and therapies to address society's most pressing health problems.

During his tenure as dean, Tripathi said, Stenger "has made strong faculty hires, whereby the quality of students continues to improve, and innovation across the school's research enterprise has been extraordinary."

To assist him in making the interim appointment, Tripathi had formed an advisory group comprised of deans, vice presidents and faculty members to consider candidates for the position.

Nancy Smyth, dean of the School of Social Work and convener of the advisory group, praised Stenger, noting that he is extremely well-regarded across the university.

"He has been a member of a number of university-wide committees, including service as chair of the College of Arts and Sciences and School of Management dean search committees," Smyth said. "He has the overarching, university-wide perspective that is so crucial for the person leading UB's academic enterprise.

"He's a strong scholar and administrator; he's dynamic, with a lot of energy," she added. "He's a wonderful colleague who is especially valued by his peers for his innovative approaches to solving problems, as well as his strategic thinking.

"I look forward to the opportunity to work with him in his new role."

Stenger said that in his five years at UB, he's learned much about the university's operations, the academic and scholarly diversity found across the institution, UB's local and global reach, and the university's potential looking forward.

"I also know that I have much to learn as I begin this interim position," he said. "I am extremely lucky to have a great mentor who can teach me many of the things I will need to know. It is my hope that I can help UB in any way possible during my appointment."

Stenger joined the UB faculty in 2006 as dean of UB Engineering after serving as dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science at Lehigh University. He also holds an appointment as professor of chemical and biological engineering at UB.

He has shepherded construction of the new engineering building -- Barbara and Jack Davis Hall -- on the North Campus that will be home to departments and centers now scattered among several UB buildings, including Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical Engineering, the Center of Excellence in Document Analysis and Recognition (CEDAR) and the Center for Unified Biometrics and Sensors (CUBS).

Among his other accomplishments are a redesigned freshman-year engineering curriculum; enhanced diversity of the student population via programs funded by the National Science Foundation and corporate foundations; $19 million in philanthropic gifts to the school, including $5 million in building-naming gifts from Barbara and Jack Davis; and completion in 2008 of the ABET accreditation process for the school's eight programs.

As a scholar, he has been investigator or co-investigator on nearly 30 research grants and contracts, and has authored or co-authored more than 65 scientific articles. His research focuses on reacting heterogeneous systems, including work in natural products processing, semiconductor materials manufacturing, emission control processes and synthetic fuels research.

He holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a doctorate from MIT, both in chemical engineering.