Published April 1, 2020
Dear University Community:
I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Kemper E. Lewis as Dean of UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, effective May 1, 2020.
Dr. Lewis’s appointment results from an extensive international search that yielded a pool of highly competitive candidates. Dr. Lewis, who currently serves as Moog Professor of Innovation and Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UB, brings to this role exceptional scholarly and teaching accomplishments, significant administrative experience, and proven dedication to UB students and faculty. Under his leadership, I am confident that the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences will continue to be a global leader in solving grand challenges through groundbreaking research and innovation and delivering excellent, solutions-oriented academic programs that prepare students to address real-world needs.
A fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and co-director of UB’s Community of Excellence in Sustainable Manufacturing and Advanced Robotic Technologies (SMART), Dr. Lewis is a renowned expert in design science, systems optimization, tradespace modeling, and machine learning in design, with a proven track record of productive collaboration with industry. He has published over 200 refereed journal articles and conference proceedings and has been principal or co-principal investigator on grants totaling more than $18 million. He is highly lauded for his excellence in teaching and mentoring. Dr. Lewis’s contributions have been recognized by many awards and honors including, to cite just a few, the Design Automation Award and Donald N. Zwiep Innovation in Education Award from ASME, an NSF CAREER Award, and a Sloan Foundation New Faculty Fellowship.
Since 2014 Dr. Lewis has served as Chair of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the third largest department on campus with more than 1,500 students and 50 faculty and staff. Under Dr. Lewis’s leadership, the department has hired 22 faculty members and enhanced faculty diversity, significantly grown research expenditures, nearly doubled the number of annual PhD conferrals, developed new academic programs and experiential learning opportunities, and enhanced the department’s reputation and ranking. In recognition of his excellence in leadership, Dr. Lewis was elected to and currently chairs the ASME Mechanical Engineering Department Head Executive Committee.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Dean Jean Wactawski-Wende and all of the members of the search committee for their outstanding service, which was vital to the successful outcome of this search. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Interim Dean Rajan Batta for his excellent leadership and service during the transitional period.
Please join me in welcoming Dr. Lewis to this important academic leadership role within our campus community. For more details on this appointment, please view the full announcement here.
Sincerely,
A. Scott Weber Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs