Leadership
Enrique Lavernia, Dean
The dean is the administrative head, providing academic leadership, managing resources and representing the College of Engineering to the Chancellor, the Provost, UC Davis and wider communities. The dean is also a member of the faculty of the College.
Distinguished Professor, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
- Contact Information
- Email Dean Enrique Lavernia
- Phone: (530) 752-0554
- Kemper Hall 1021A
- Website: Advanced Materials Research Group
- Research
- Synthesis of structural materials and metal matrix composites with particular emphasis on processing fundamentals; thermal spray processing of nano-structured materials; spray atomization and deposition of structural materials; solidification processing of metal matrix composites; synthesis and behavior of nano-crystalline materials; mathematical modeling of advanced materials and processes
- Education
- Ph.D., Materials Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1986
- M.S., Metallurgy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1984
- B.S., Solid Mechanics, Brown University, 1982
Enrique J. Lavernia returned as dean to the College of Engineering on January 1, 2011 after serving as provost and executive vice chancellor of the University of California, Davis, from January 2009–December 2010. He joined the campus in 2002 as dean of the College of Engineering, where he was also promoted to Distinguished Professor in 2007. Prior to his arrival to Davis in 2002, Lavernia served as Chair and Chancellor’s Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at UC Irvine. He was named the 1998 Biochemical and Biochemical Engineering Materials Science “Science Teacher of the Year” at UCI. Elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2013, Lavernia is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2000); a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (2006); and fellow of ASM International (1998).
Dean Lavernia is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the ASM International, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Named Presidential Young Investigator by the National Science Foundation, Lavernia also received a Young Investigator Award from the Office of Naval Research. In 2011 he received the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Award (HEENAC) and the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Distinguished Scientist Award. Dean Lavernia is also the recipient of the 2013 Edward DeMille Campbell Memorial Lectureship, and the 2013 ASM International Gold Medal Award.
Dean Lavernia’s research interests include synthesis of structural materials and metal matrix composites with particular emphasis on processing fundamentals; thermal spray processing of nano-structured materials; spray atomization and deposition of structural materials; solidification processing of metal matrix composites; synthesis and behavior of nano-crystalline materials; and mathematical modeling of advanced materials and processes. He has published 400 journal and 200 conference publications on topics ranging from nano-materials to aluminum alloys.
Dean Lavernia earned his B.S. with Honors in Solid Mechanics from Brown University in 1982, his M.S. in Metallurgy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) in 1984, and his Ph.D. in Materials Engineering from M.I.T. in 1986.
Associate Deans
The associate deans, also faculty members, provide leadership in matters related to the academic mission, faculty, instruction and student services. They report to the dean of the College.
Karen McDonald
Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies
Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
- Contact Information
- Email Associate Dean Karen McDonald
- Phone: (530) 752-0559
- Website: Plant Bioprocess Lab
- Research
- Research and development of plant-based expression systems and bioprocesses for production of biopharmaceuticals, biofuels and biopolymers
- Education
- Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Maryland, 1985
- M.S.,Chemical Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, 1980
- B.S., Chemical Engineering, Stanford University, 1979
Jean VanderGheynst
Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies
Professor, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
- Contact Information
- Email Associate Dean Jean VanderGheynst
- Phone: (530) 752-0556
- Website: VanderGheynst Lab
- Research
- Investigating a diverse array of biological systems to address relevant problems in fields such as plant biotechnology, biofuels, and pest management
- Curriculum Vitae
- Education
- Ph.D., Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Cornell University, 1997
- M.S., Agricultural and Biological Engineering, Cornell University, 1994
- B.S., Chemical Engineering, with Distinction, Syracuse University, 1991
Bruce Hartsough
Associate Dean, Academic Personnel and Planning
Professor, Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering
- Contact Information
- Email Associate Dean Bruce Hartsough
- Phone: (530) 754-7748
- Research
- Harvesting to improve forest health and reduce fuel loadings; forest biomass for energy; minimum-impact harvesting methods; harvesting short rotation plantations; mechanics and dynamics of forestry equipment; modeling and systems analysis of forest operations.
- Education
- Ph.D., Forest Engineering, Auburn University, 1986
- M.S., Forest Engineering, UC Davis, 1983
- B.S., Agricultural Engineering and Renewable and Natural Resources, UC Davis, 1976
Chairs
Academic chairs are faculty members and have critical leadership roles in their units, acting as liaisons to higher administration and serving to advance the research, teaching and service missions of their departments.
Raul Piedrahita
Biological and Agricultural Engineering
Kyriacos Athanasiou
Biomedical Engineering
Ahmet Palazoglu
Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Sashi Kunnath
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Prasant Mohapatra
Computer Science
Rick Kiehl
Electrical and Computer Engineering
C.P. van Dam
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
UC Davis College of Engineering Strategic Leadership Board 2012-13
The Strategic Leadership Board is a distinguished group of thought-leaders who represent, inspire and honor the vision of the College of Engineering mission: "Innovative research and quality education will make life better for everyone."
Curtis Carlson
Dr. Carlson has served as president and CEO of SRI International since 1998. In 1973, while employed at RCA Laboratories, Curtis started and helped lead the high-definition television (HDTV) program that became the U.S. standard; in 1997 his team won an Emmy Award for outstanding technical achievement.
Irwin Jacobs
Dr. Jacobs is an electrical engineer and the co-founder and former chairman of Qualcomm. Qualcomm's Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) has been adopted as one of two digital standards for the next generation of cellular telephones in North America. A former faculty member at MIT and at UC San Diego, Jacobs is a member of the National Academy of Engineers and a recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
John Maroney, '75 mechanical engineering
Maroney has been a general partner since 2003 with Delphi Ventures, a venture capital firm that has funded more than 160 medical devices and biotechnology companies. Prior to joining Delphi, Maroney served as president, CEO, and chair of EndoTex Interventional Systems, acquired by Boston Scientific in 2007.
Masahiko Mori
Dr. Mori serves as president of Mori Seiki, Inc., one of the world's largest international manufacturers of lathes, machining centers, multi-axis turning centers, and grinders.
Indira Samarasekera, '76 mechanical engineering
Dr. Samarasekera became the first female president and vice-chancellor of the University of Alberta in 2005. Dr. Samarasekera received her B.Sc. from the University of Sri Lanka and her M.S. from UC Davis as a Fulbright Scholar.
Stratton Sclavos, '81 electrical engineering
Sclavos is a partner at Radar Partners, and also serves on the board of directors for several public companies, including Intuit, Juniper Networks and Salesforce.com. Sclavos was one of the first employees of VeriSign, a security services and network infrastructure company. He served as VeriSign's chairman, president and CEO for 12 years.
William "Bill" Sullivan, '72 environmental planning and management
Sullivan has been the CEO for Agilent Technologies since 2005. He joined Hewlett-Packard Company in 1976. In 1999, when Agilent spun off from HP, he was named to the top position within the component group.
Alan Taub
Dr. Taub teaches in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Michigan, where he established a new center for the advanced manufacturing of lightweight material structures for automotive and aerospace applications. Taub retired in 2012 from his position as vice-president of Global Research & Development for General Motors. He holds 26 patents.
Woongchul Yang, '86 mechanical engineering
After working in the automotive industry in the U.S. for 18 years, Dr. Yang returned to South Korea in 2004 to join Hyundai Motor Group. He currently serves as vice-chairman of Hyundai Motor Group's R&D Division.
UC Davis College of Engineering Dean's Executive Committee
The Dean's Executive Committee is composed of executive-level leaders, including venture capitalists and successful entrepreneurs. The Dean's Executive Committee works closely with staff and faculty to assist the College of Engineering through advocacy, prospective donor identification and cultivation, and personal philanthropy.
Enrique Lavernia
Dean and Distinguished Professor
Dean Lavernia joined UC Davis in 2002 as dean of the College of Engineering, and was promoted to Distinguished Professor in 2007. Prior to his arrival to Davis in 2002, Dean Lavernia served as Chair and Chancellor's Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at UC Irvine. Dean Lavernia earned his B.S. with honors in solid mechanics from Brown University, his M.S. in metallurgy and his Ph.D. in materials engineering from M.I.T.
Diane Bryant, '85 electrical engineering
Vice President and GM, Datacenter and Connected Systems Group, Intel Corporation
During her rise to leadership positions at Intel, Bryant served in many key roles where she helped transform Intel into a platform-directed company. Bryant is also responsible for the architecture, design, and delivery of Intel's Xeon and Itanium processor families.
Tim Bucher, '86 electrical engineering
President and Founder, Dry Creek Olive Company
President and Founder, Trattore Wines
Bucher helped develop innovative consumer products for tech giants Apple and Microsoft like the iMac, Mac mini, the iPod and WebTV. Bucher then founded ZING Systems, whose technology connects consumers with their favorite music and entertainment services; in 2007, Dell purchased ZING Systems where Bucher served as the chief product officer.
Alfred Chuang '86 computer science
Founder and CEO, Magnet Systems
Alfred Chuang is one of the most well-known and well-respected innovators in platforms for e-commerce applications. His work on application containers has had a broad and pervasive impact on the way that web services for e-business are built. Chuang was the founder, chairman, CEO and president of BEA Systems until it was purchased by Oracle in April 2008. Chuang then founded Magnet, whose software platform ó WIN, for Workplace Interaction Network ó helps workers better organize and exploit "unstructured information," data that isn't stored in the conventional databases.
Richard Chuang, '79 electrical engineering
CEO, Cloudpic
After beinning his career at Hewlett-Packard, Richard Chuang moved to Pacific Data Images (PDI), a pioneer in animated graphics. PDI merged with Dreamworks following the firms' collabration on the film Antz. Chuang shared the 1998 Technical Achievement Academy Award.
Jeffrey Child, '82 chemical engineering
Financial Advisor, Oshman Family Office
Child spent fourteen years at Bank of America Securities. Child has served as a director at Foxhollow Technologies Inc., since 2005; and as a director of ev3, Inc. since 2007.
Mike Child, '76 electrical engineering
Senior Advisor, TA Associates Inc.
Child joined TA Associates, a Boston-based private equity firm in 1982, opening its West Coast office with Jeff Chambers that year. During his career, Child has served as a director of 16 public companies, including Sonic Solutions (which sold to Microsoft), AST Research (sold to Samsung), and Network General Corporation (sold to McAfee). Child is a lecturer in the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Richard Dorf
Professor Emeriti, UC Davis
Dorf holds a joint appointment with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Graduate School of Management. A prolific writer and editor, Dorf has authored 30 books including several standard handbooks and textbooks of engineering. His latest book is Technology Ventures: From Ideas to Enterprise, co-authored with Prof. Thomas Byers of Stanford University. He has co-founded seven technology firms.
Adam Hansel, '00 mechanical and aerospace engineering
COO, DTL Mori Seiki Co.
Hansel began working for Digital Technology Laboratory (DTL) when it was a small exploratory subsidiary of the Mori Seiki group. Under Hansel's leadership, DTL has expanded its engineering contributions and tripled its workforce. DTL Mori Seiki is now a world leader in progressive manufacturing technologies such as nano scale machining, virtual prototype testing, automation solutions, and machine simulation.
Francis Lee, '74 electrical engineering
Board Chairman, Synaptics
In 1999, Lee became CEO of Synaptics and developed pattern recognition and sensor technology that found a home in the touch pads used in most laptop computers and mobile devices. Under Lee's leadership, Synaptics gained a commanding market share of the touch pads used in notebook computers and smart phones.
Steven Montoya, '77 electrical engineering
Vice President for Product Engineering, Topanga Technologies
Montoya joined Topanga Technologies as Vice President of Product Engineering in 2010. Prior to joining Topanga, Montoya managed the Engineering and Product Management groups at HID Labs where he led activities resulting in the commercialization of a networked energy efficient lighting solution.
Cynthia Murphy, '91 chemical engineering
Portfolio ManagerñUniversity Affairs, Chevron Corporation
During her career with Chevron, Murphy has overseen the functions of a team of 600 employees at Chevron Energy Technology Co (Richmond, CA), and also helped start and manage the overall operation of Chevron Technology University (CTU), a program designed to train new engineers.
Jim Olson, '72 electrical engineering
Olson founded WestShore Management Group in 2007, continuing a distinguished career leading several high technology businesses for two Forture companies and serving for nine years as CEO of SkyStream Networks, the top rated IPTV video head end provider worldwide.
Earl Rennison, '88 electrical engineering
CTO and Founder, Trovix
Rennison began his career at IBM, where he designed avionics and flight control systems for the Army. He went on to co-found Perspecta Inc., which developed advanced search engines and visual user interface technology and products for organizing and publishing large information repositories for companies like Merrill Lynch, Sabre, Bell South and Infomix. In 2002, he teamed with Jeff Benrey to co-found Trovix, which was purchased by Monster in 2008.
Herb Schneider, '81 electrical engineering
Vice President, Gridiron Systems Inc.
Schneider holds a successful track record of driving the development of next-generation technology including five generations of custom networking ASICs, two generations of network operating systems (EXTR, EXOS), and three generations of fixed and modular networking platforms. He holds several patents in data networking and security.
Jerome J. Suran
Professor Emeritus, UC Davis
Vice President (RET), General Electric
Suran is a Senior Lecturer Emeritus in the Graduate School of Management and in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Prior to coming to UC Davis, Professor Suran had a 30 year career with the General Electric Company where he developed the implantable cardiac pacemaker.
Brian Underwood, '91 materials science
President/CEO of California Gold Almonds LLC
Veteran entrepreneur Brian Underwood has held leadership positions in a number of new successful ventures including Whaleback, Big Ten Partners, FinancialCircuitInc, SignalWorks, and SideStep. Underwood co-founded three successful high tech start-ups before co-founding California Gold Almonds, a premier processor of high quality almonds.
Bruce G. West, '71 '73 civil engineering
Principal, West Yost & Associates Inc.
A founding Principal of West Yost & Associates in Davis, West has 41 years of civil and environmental engineering experience. West has served as either project manager or principal-in-charge on most of West Yost wastewater treatment plant expansion and upgrade projects throughout California and Oregon.