University of Vermont President E. Thomas Sullivan today announced his decision to appoint David V. Rosowsky, dean of the School of Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, as Provost and Senior Vice President, beginning August 1, 2013.

“We set very high expectations and qualifications for this critically important position,” said Sullivan. “We need our new provost to be a highly accomplished scholar of distinction and also an inspirational and collaborative leader, and a creative, strategic-oriented individual. Dr. Rosowsky meets these criteria. I am confident that he will be an outstanding provost at UVM.”

President Sullivan has stated that the new provost, who serves as the chief academic and chief budget officer, will play an indispensable role working with the campus community to build on the University’s accomplishments and to strengthen its prospects for future success.

Beyond his exceptional academic credentials, the search committee, chaired by Professor of Economics and Dean of the Honors College Abu Rizvi, was impressed with Rosowsky’s administrative accomplishments. Among them: His ability to help build university-wide research centers with industry and agency support, his tireless work to raise private funds, his initiatives to diversify faculty and students, his track record of relating enrollment management to strategic goals, as well as his efforts to bolster faculty development, to increase revenues, and to provide greater international opportunities for students and innovative means for their experiential education.

“I am very excited about joining such a dynamic academic community at UVM. The role of Provost is an excellent fit with my experience and my desire to help move a broad academic portfolio at one of the nation’s top public research universities to even greater heights, visibility, and impact. I look forward to engaging faculty, staff, students, alumni, business, government, and other key stakeholders in furthering UVM’s goals, including promoting the essential role of public higher education in enhancing the public good,” Rosowsky said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to take on this exciting new challenge.”

As dean of engineering at Rensselaer, Rosowsky has responsibility for 160 faculty and more than 100 staff, more than 3,000 undergraduate students and nearly 700 graduate students. He also provides leadership and strategic direction of all academic and research endeavors, as well as general operations in the school. Prior to joining Rensselaer in 2009, he was Head of the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University, where he also held the A.P. and Florence Wiley Chair in Civil Engineering.

Rosowsky is a highly productive and recognized scholar. He is the author of more than 300 publications with emphasis on the reliability of structures, particularly those subject to natural hazards and environmental loads.

He also maintains an active research program in wind and earthquake engineering and continues to supervise graduate students and post-doctoral researchers. He is a member of numerous editorial boards, national technical committees, is a registered professional engineer, and holds the rank of fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Rosowsky earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Tufts University, and a doctorate in civil engineering from Johns Hopkins University. He is also a member of the Engineering Board of Advisors of Tufts University.

He will be moving to Vermont with his wife Michelle, and their two children Melissa and Leo.

PUBLISHED

05-20-2013
University Communications