Anthony W. England has been named dean of the UM-Dearborn College of Engineering and Computer Science. He has served as interim dean since May 2011.
The Board of Regents approved the appointment Thursday.
England has had an extensive and notable career as an engineer, scientist and researcher. He is a former NASA astronaut, where his assignments included mission scientist for Apollo 13 and 16 and spaceflight on the Space Shuttle Challenger.
He also spent 25 years as a faculty member at U-M’s Ann Arbor campus and served as associate dean for academic affairs for five years at the College of Engineering.
“The disciplines of engineering launched our academic enterprise some 50 years ago, and since then the college’s reputation has grown with the university’s,” said Kate Davy, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.
“Tony is a proven educational leader, an innovative researcher and a strong collaborator who has the ability to maintain the excellence CECS has achieved over time and secure a strong, productive future for the college.”
As interim dean, England has emphasized renewing the college’s classroom and teaching laboratories, strengthening its research programs and organizing a more effective K-12 outreach program.
“Having served as interim dean for the past 22 months, I have developed a deep respect for the mission of UM-Dearborn and am looking forward to continuing the success of the CECS mission,” England said.
England, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers fellow, has published more than 130 peer-reviewed articles. His current research concerns developing Land-Surface Process/Radiobrightness models of land-atmosphere energy and moisture fluxes in the arctic.
England earned three degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology: a doctorate in geophysics, and Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in geology and geophysics.
