Search for UNT College of Engineering dean succeeds with appointment

Concluding an eight-month nationwide search, UNT this month selected Oscar N. Garcia as the founding dean of the university's new College of Engineering.

Garcia is currently NCR Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

Garcia begins his service at UNT in July. His immediate challenges will include overseeing the renovation of facilities at the UNT Research Park (the future home of the new college) and developing both student recruitment and fund-raising campaigns. He will also begin the critical process of recruiting faculty for the new college.

"The UNT campus community is delighted to welcome Dr. Garcia as the founding dean of the new College of Engineering. I have high hopes for the role that engineering programs will play in advancing our institution," says UNT President Norval Pohl. "Under his leadership, our new college will expand UNT's role in regional economic development, increase extramural funding and anchor operations at our new research park facilities."

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board voted unanimously to authorize the establishment of a college of engineering at UNT last April. Initial departments in the college are the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, the Department of Engineering Technology and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. It is expected that the college will add new departments, including electrical engineering, within the next few years.

"I feel honored and humbled to be chosen as the first dean of engineering of the newest college within the UNT System," Garcia says. "The engineering faculty and I will strive to provide the people and industries of the North Texas region with educational and research opportunities for traditional and nontraditional computer science and engineering students. We look forward to fostering a technological environment of job creation and improvement, of industrial interaction and enhancement for greater competitiveness and of relevant advanced research for regional economic growth."

Prior to joining Wright State, Garcia was program director for interactive systems in the information, robotics and intelligent systems division of the computer and information science and engineering directorate at the National Science Foundation. He also served the NSF as program director for engineering in the directorate for education and human resources.

In addition, he served as professor of electrical engineering and computer science at George Washington University; the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies and Center for Automation and Robotics; the University of South Florida; and Old Dominion University. At USF he was founding chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

Garcia's current research focuses on topics in complexity, bioinformatics, human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, expert systems and software engineering. He has developed artificial intelligence and expert systems courses that are acclaimed in both the United States and Japan.

His background in research also includes advanced work in the areas of robust speech recognition, computer architecture and parallel processing, testing of digital circuits and arithmetic coding theory.

Garcia is a life fellow in the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and former president of the IEEE Computer Society. He also is a 2000 IEEE Third Millennium Medal recipient.

In 1994, he received the Richard M. Emberson Award from the IEEE board of directors for "outstanding contributions and leadership."

In 1993, he received the Centennial Certificate of the American Society for Engineering Education for "exceptional contributions to the profession of engineering." In 1988, the IEEE Computer Society honored him with the Richard E. Merwin Distinguished Service Award "in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the computer profession."

Garcia is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

He earned his bachelor of science degree and master's degree, both in electrical engineering, from North Carolina State University. He holds a doctorate in electrical engineering from the University of Maryland.

He and his wife, Diane, have two daughters.

Garcia's appointment is subject to confirmation by the UNT Board of Regents.

BY RODDY WOLPER rwolper@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• UNT names Philip J. Romano inaugural recipient of humanitarian award
• Law conference addresses key higher education issues
• Faculty and staff can vote now for the 2003 Homecoming theme
• Five TAMS students named semifinalists in national Intel science competition
• Admissions Marketing Report awards best of show title to UNT undergraduate viewbook
• HIPAA isn't short for hippopotamus
• Making sure UNT maintains security
• NEA funds national project based on UNT program

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