Johannes Gessler Retiring as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Professor Johannes Gessler has served the College of Engineering as associate dean for academic affairs for the past ten years. In this role, Gessler has had oversight over the college's undergraduate curriculum, recruiting and retention activities. He has directed the interdisciplinary engineering undergraduate degree programs including engineering science, and worked closely with faculty and students to achieve their academic goals. Among his many accomplishments, he was active in the establishment of the Colorado Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (CO-AMP) program at Colorado State. CO-AMP is a statewide consortium sponsored by the National Science Foundation for the purpose of attracting and preparing students for careers in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.
Recognized for his leadership skills, Dr. Gessler was asked to serve as interim dean of the College of Engineering for two years during a time of transition. As interim dean, Gessler established strong relationships between the College of Engineering and the University community, particularly the Provost's Office. During this time, he oversaw the remodeling of the Engineering Building and helped design many of the innovative classrooms, meeting areas and laboratories. The interactive teaching laboratories in this renovated building have provided students with more hands-on learning opportunities than existed in the previous facility. The Lockheed Martin Engineering Design Studio is perhaps the crown jewel among these newly remodeled undergraduate laboratories, mirroring the working environment in some of the top corporations in the nation. Associate Professor Tom Siller heads the faculty management team that developed the vision and provides oversight of the Lockheed Martin Engineering Design Studio.
Professor Gessler will be retiring from the University at the end of the 2002-2003 academic year. Neal Gallagher, dean of engineering, applauds his efforts on behalf of the College. "Johannes Gessler's contributions and devotion to the College of Engineering and Colorado State University have been exemplary and established the groundwork upon which we can build new programs."
Dr. Siller will be working with Gessler during the 2002-2003 academic year and sharing the duties of the position to ensure a smooth transition. Siller has been elected by the College of Engineering as the next associate dean for academic affairs and will officially assume full duties for this position in July 2003. Siller is eager to work with Gallagher to meet the challenges facing education today. He shares the Dean's vision of redefining engineering education for the 21st century.
"Education is now more technically supported and oriented to solving national issues, especially issues related to the education of the workforce in the 21st century," says Siller. "Engineering education in particular is at a crossroads because of changes in the workplace. Academia cannot be reactionary, but rather must take a leadership role in this area."
CSU's College of Engineering is positioned to lead this effort, and Siller will be working with faculty and administration to establish a new vision for engineering education. "Engineering plays such an important role in designing the future, and we need to position ourselves to do new things," says Siller. "The information technology revolution puts the onus on academia to work with business and government leaders to define the direction we will take to meet the challenges education will face. Educators cannot follow along with technological changes, but must design the road education will take to meet unforeseen challenges and opportunities in the future."
Siller joined the Department of Civil Engineering at Colorado State University in 1988 after obtaining his Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University. He received a B.S. in civil engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo and earned his Master's degree at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Since joining the faculty at CSU, he has won several teaching and advising awards, including the Jack Cermak Award and the Chi Epsilon Gold Key Award.
Siller's research interests include the seismic design of earth structures and understanding the role of technology in engineering education. He recently spent a year on sabbatical leave as a visiting professor at the National Technological University. During this sabbatical, he coordinated the First Electronic International Conference on Engineering Education.
Siller has been actively involved with curricular reform issues in the Department of Civil Engineering and assisted with the creation of the new All University Core Curriculum. He previously served the College of Engineering in an administrative capacity as the acting associate dean for undergraduate studies when Johannes Gessler was interim dean.