National Dean Search
Dr. Andrew G. Alleyne selected as the next dean of the College of Science and Engineering
University of Minnesota Executive Vice President and Provost Rachel T.A. Croson has announced the appointment of Dr. Andrew G. Alleyne as the next dean of the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering (CSE), effective Jan. 10, 2022.
An accomplished researcher, educator and academic leader, Dr. Alleyne comes to the University from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), where he currently is the Ralph M. and Catherine V. Fisher Professor in Engineering and director of a multi-university research center sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
As CSE dean, Dr. Alleyne will be the college’s chief executive officer and chief academic officer and will provide collaborative leadership to maintain and enhance its excellence as a global leader in research and education encompassing the physical sciences, engineering, mathematics, and computer science.
Dr. Alleyne is widely recognized for his research to develop innovative systems and tools for energy and power systems, manufacturing systems, and transportation systems. A faculty member in mechanical science and engineering at UIUC since 1994, he has served in multiple academic leadership roles at all levels of the institution.
Since 2015 he has led the National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center on Power Optimization of Electro Thermal Systems (POETS), an ambitious multidisciplinary center based at UIUC in partnership with three other U.S. universities, two international institutions, and many industry and government partners. Bringing together electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, materials scientists, and physicists, the center’s focus is developing new ways to control the flow of energy in the mobile electrified systems needed for cars, ships, and planes—ultimately to make transportation more efficient and environmentally sustainable. The center encompasses related activities in graduate education and workforce development as well as K–12 outreach.
Dr. Alleyne served for four years as associate dean for research in the UIUC Grainger College of Engineering, overseeing the research interests of 13 departments and collaborating broadly to strategically strengthen the college’s research portfolio, including leading the development of new cross-college research centers and a translational research institute. He served a term as associate department head for the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering.
For half a decade he led the department’s faculty recruiting committee, where he developed a multi-year plan that increased the hiring of women and underrepresented minority faculty. He has helped to advance many initiatives to recruit underrepresented talent into academia, including initiating the Graduate Engineers Diversifying Illinois program on the UIUC campus and serving as its faculty mentor. He has received many awards for his teaching, advising, and mentoring of both undergraduate and graduate students.
Dr. Alleyne holds Ph.D. and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley as well as an undergraduate degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University. At UIUC, he has had an affiliated faculty appointment in electrical and computer engineering.
He has published and presented widely and throughout his career has received many awards and recognitions for his scholarship. He holds distinguished recognition as a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Among many collaborations with industry, academic, and government partners, he served for eight years on the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, most recently as the science and technology chair.
Dr. Alleyne’s appointment as dean of the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering is the culmination of a national search for a successor to Mos Kaveh, who will step down this year as planned after serving as dean since 2018.
As dean, Dr. Alleyne will oversee the college’s research, teaching, and public engagement missions and provide executive, administrative, and strategic leadership to further advance CSE’s excellence as a multidisciplinary college of unique breadth and impact. He will lead collaborative efforts to enhance research and educational innovation; promote diversity, equity, and inclusion; advance fundraising; and to implement strategic priorities aligned with MPact 2025, the University of Minnesota systemwide strategic plan. As a senior academic leader reporting to the provost and a member of the Twin Cities Deans Council, he will also play a collaborative leadership role in University academic affairs.
The University of Minnesota shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.
