Vijay Dhir, dean of the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science, has announced his plans to step down as dean on June 30, 2015, and return to the faculty in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.A member of the UCLA faculty since 1974, Dhir has worked to place UCLA Engineering at the forefront of interdisciplinary engineering education and research, said Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Scott Waugh in a letter posted Oct. 18.
Dhir served as vice chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from 1988 to 1991, and as chair from 1994 to 2000. In 2001 he was appointed associate dean for academic and faculty issues for the engineering school and served as interim dean from February 2002 to March 2003, when he was appointed dean.
"I want to thank Vijay for his outstanding leadership of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and for his tireless work to enhance the school’s stature and establish it as a hub for interdisciplinary research, education and service," Waugh said in his letter. During his tenure as dean, Dhir has overseen a successful fundraising program that has generated more than $200 million in philanthropic support and stewarded capital projects, including the construction of Engineering V and Engineering VI (currently underway), as well as the ongoing renovation of Boelter Hall.
He also has led efforts resulting in the recruitment of 70 new faculty. Since 2002, the school’s rankings have risen significantly, annual extramural funding has increased from $54.9 million to $105.8 million and, with support from the federal government and private industry, the school established 10 centers to spur research and development on emerging technologies.
As distinguished professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, Dhir leads the Boiling Heat Transfer Lab, which has conducted pioneering work in fundamental and applied sciences involving boiling, an efficient process of heat removal. During nearly 40 years at UCLA, he has published more than 300 papers and has advised more than 40 doctoral students and 50 master’s students.
He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Nuclear Society and serves on a number of committees for the National Research Council. In 2006, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
A search committee will be formed next spring.
