Four finalists for associate dean for academic affairs West Virginia University’s Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources will visit campus beginning March 9. Candidates will spend two days and one evening in Morgantown and will meet with administration, faculty, staff and students.

“The pool of applicants was very strong making it very difficult for the committee to reduce its final pool to only four candidates,” said Warren Myers, associate dean for academic affairs and search committee chair. “These four applicants rose to the top because of the depth and breadth of experience they have in managing academic affairs and their success in leading engineering education programs and reform.”

The four candidates, and the dates of their visits, are:

Scott Case, March 9-10

Case is a professor and chair of engineering science and mechanics at Virginia Tech. A three-time graduate of Virginia Tech, Case joined the staff as an assistant professor in 1998 after serving as a research assistant professor and post-doctoral research associate.

Case previously served as interim department head for ESM and was responsible for working with faculty, staff and advisory board members to develop and implement the department’s strategic plan. His previous administrative experience includes serving as the associate department head in ESM, where he was responsible for managing the undergraduate program. As chair of the recruiting committee, the department saw an enrollment increase from 68 in 2003 to 199 this past fall. The program has the distinction of being the highest rated program by “U.S. News and World Report” within Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering. He also served as interim associate dean for academic affairs and successfully led Virginia Tech through the ABET accreditation process in 2007 and 2013.

David Wyrick, March 12-13

Wyrick is the William L. McKnight Distinguished Visiting Professor in Technology Development at the Swenson College of Science and Engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He is responsible for developing, promoting and growing the master’s program in engineering management, as well as identifying opportunities for increased internationalization and entrepreneurship across campus.
Wyrick also serves as associate executive director for the American Society of Engineering Management, where he is charged with developing and maintaining relationships with key partner institutions, many of which are international efforts.

His previous positions include a stint as the dean of the School of Science and Engineering at Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco, as well as serving as both the chair and director of graduate studies for the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He also served as the Bryan Pearce Bagley Regents Chair of Engineering at Texas Tech University.

Tony Brizendine, March 16-17

Brizendine is professor and chair of the Department of Engineering Technology and Construction Management in the College of Engineering at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Under his guidance, the Department has increased its undergraduate enrollment by more than 300 percent, added multiple graduate programs, doubled the size of the ETCM faculty and increased external funding.

Brizendine, who earned his doctorate in civil engineering from WVU, was previously employed at Fairmont State University, where he held appointments as chair of the school, director of engineering technology and director of the University Honors Program. He also held part-time teaching appointments at WVU and West Virginia University Institute of Technology.

Hamid Parsaei, March 19-20

As director of Academic Outreach, STEM and ABET Accreditation at Texas A&M at Qatar, Parsaei is responsible for initiating science, technology, engineering and mathematics enrichment programs for elementary, middle and high school students and teachers. He has developed innovative teaching methods, introduced mobile devices as teaching aids in the classroom and mentored students regionally and globally.

He previously served as associate dean for academic affairs at Texas A&M at Qatar, overseeing six academic programs and several supporting divisions, including admissions, records, advising, the library, student affairs, study abroad, career advising and counseling. He also served as professor and chair of the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Houston for 10 years and the director of the Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center.

Parsaei earned his bachelor’s degree in economics for National University of Iran, and his master’s and doctorate in industrial engineering from Western Michigan University and University of Texas at Arlington, respectively.

For a full position description, visit http://employmentservices.hr.wvu.edu/wvu_jobs/non-classified_positions/associate-dean-for-academic-affairs-statler-college-of-engineering-and-mineral-resources. The position will report to Gene Cilento, Glen H. Hiner Dean of the Statler College and the College anticipates a fall 2015 start date.

-WVU-

mcd/02/17/15

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