English Named Dean of College of Engineering

Photo Submitted

John English

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – John English has been named the ninth dean of the University of Arkansas College of Engineering. English, currently dean of the College of Engineering at Kansas State University, will also hold the Irma F. and Raymond F. Giffels Endowed Chair in Engineering. His term will begin July 1.

“I am very pleased to be welcoming John English back to Arkansas,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “He’s accomplished great things both here and at Kansas State, and I know he’ll do an excellent job leading the College of Engineering into the future.”

“It is exciting to return to my alma mater as the dean of engineering,” said English. “I have been fortunate to hold the same position at Kansas State University, and I am ready to jump in with both feet at the University of Arkansas. With its talented faculty, staff and students, the college at the University of Arkansas is one of the leaders in engineering education and research, and it is poised for greater prominence. I look forward to being on campus soon!”

The University of Arkansas College of Engineering offers seven ABET-accredited engineering degrees, and recently instituted the first department of biomedical engineering in the state of Arkansas. The college is growing fast; since 2007, student enrollment has increased by 73 percent. Faculty members in the College of Engineering conduct cutting-edge research in many important areas, including alternative energy, cancer detection and treatment, and nanoscience.

English received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in operations research from the University of Arkansas. He holds a doctorate in industrial engineering and management from Oklahoma State University. English was a faculty member in the University of Arkansas department of industrial engineering from 1991 to 2007 as well as head of the department from 2000 to 2007. In this role, English helped increase the reputation of the department, which is currently ranked 19th by U.S. News and World Report. From 2000 to 2005, English was the founding director of the Center for Excellence in Logistics and Distribution, a National Science Foundation Industry and University Cooperative Research Center. While director of the GENESIS Technology Incubator at the University of Arkansas from 1999 to 2001, English helped start-up companies commercialize technological advances.

The focus of most of English’s research is on quality and reliability engineering. He has published numerous articles and book chapters in the field of logistics and material handling, and his awards include the Halliburton Research Award, the Dr. Theo Williamson Award from Integrated Manufacturing Systems and the Continuing Professional Development Best Paper award from the American Society for Engineering Education. He is a fellow of the Institute of Industrial Engineers.

“John English has proven himself to be a talented scholar and dedicated leader,” said Provost Sharon Gaber. “The College of Engineering has made great strides in the past few years, and he is the right person to build upon this success.”

At Kansas State, English holds the LeRoy C. and Aileen H. Paslay Chair in Engineering. He has also worked as an assistant professor at Texas A&M University and has industry experience from a career at AT&T.

Terry Martin has served as interim dean of engineering since July 2012. The previous dean, Ashok Saxena, led the College of Engineering for nine years before leaving to accept a post as the senior leader of a new research university in India.

English will be joined by his wife, Elizabeth. Their daughter, Sara, and their son-in-law are both graduates of the University of Arkansas.