Once the interviewing period is over, the committee will present President Parrish with a list of their choices, limited to three candidates, from which the president will select one. Committee members include the chair, Jim Demetry (electrical and computer engineering), McRae Banks (management), Steve Jasperson (physics), John Zeugner (humanities and arts), Mark Richman (mechanical engineering), Barbara Wyslouzil (chemical engineering), Gregory Snow ('98), and Jen Stander (GS).
Last Thursday, Dr. William C. Van Buskirk visited campus for his day of interviews. Van Buskirk is currently dean of Tulane University's School of Engineering. He received his masters and doctorate in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from Stanford University ('66, '70) after graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1964. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including membership in Sigma Xi, Pi Tau Sigma, and Tau Beta Pi. His other positions at Tulane University have included professor of biomedical engineering and department head of biomedical engineering.
The next candidate to visit will be Dr. John F. Carney, III tomorrow, January 17. Dr. Carney is professor of civil engineering and associate dean for research and graduate affairs at Vanderbilt University. He earned both his masters and doctorate in structural mechanics from Northwestern University ('64, '66). He is a registered professional engineer in both Connecticut and Tennessee and a member of Tau Beta Pi, Chi Epsilon, and Sigma Xi. Prior to his work at Vanderbilt, he was professor and head of civil engineering at Auburn University and professor of civil engineering at the University of Connecticut.
On Thursday, January 25, Dr. Gordon L. Nelson, dean and professor of chemistry at the Florida Institute of Technology College of Science and the Liberal Arts will interview on campus. Dr. Nelson earned his masters and doctorate in chemistry from Yale University ('67, '70), as well as an honorary doctorate from William Carey College (1988). He is president of the Yale Chemist's Association and a member of Sigma Xi, the Society of Plastics Engineers, and the American Institute of Chemists. Prior to his work in academia, he worked in industry, becoming vice-president of materials and technology at Springfield Laboratories, Incorporated after holding numerous positions in the General Electric Company Corporate.
The final candidate, visiting campus on Wednesday, January 31, is Dr. Joseph Goldstein. Dr. Goldstein earned all three of his degrees in metallurgy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ('60, '62, '64) and is currently dean of engineering at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he is also professor of mechanical engineering. He is an elected honorary member of the Danish Metallurgical Society, as well as a member of AIME, ASM, and Sigma Xi. He taught at Lehigh University for fifteen years before becoming vice-president for research, then vice-president for graduate studies and research there.
Members of the WPI community will have the opportunity to meet each of these candidates at 4:00pm on the days they are visiting at an open meeting in Kinnicutt Lecture Hall. Students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to attend these meetings and ask questions or just listen to the candidates' responses. Also, the cirriculum vitae for each candidate is available in the Student Government Association Office, Daniels Hall for all to peruse between the hours of 8:00 and 4:30.
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