SEAS makes organizational changes

The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has made the following organizational changes for the upcoming academic year.

Jeffrey Errington, professor of chemical and biological engineering, has been named associate dean for undergraduate education. He replaces John Van Benschoten, professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, who retired.

Rajan Batta, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, has been named associate dean for faculty affairs. In this position, which is new to the school, Batta will provide support for recruitment, diversity, mentoring, promotion, tenure, and faculty honors and awards.

Gary Dargush, who has served as chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering for the past six years, has been named associate dean for graduate education and research. Dargush, who succeeds Batta in this position, will oversee SEAS’s graduate programs and help support and grow the school’s research portfolio.

Christine Human, lecturer in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, has been appointed associate dean for accreditation and student affairs, a newly established position in the school. She will provide support for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, as well as Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation activities. She also will manage student affairs, including scholarships, commencement, open houses, tours and grievance cases.

Kemper Lewis has been named chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, succeeding Dargush. Lewis previously served as director of the New York State Center for Engineering Design and Industrial Innovation (NYSCEDII). The school is searching for a new director for NYSCEDII.