New Department Head Named

Dr. Karen Thole has accepted the position of Head of the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering  - Dr. Karen Thole will be filling the position of Head of the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering beginning August 1, 2006.  Thole comes to us from the Mechanical Engineering Department at Virginia Tech where she currently holds the position of Assistant Department Head.  Her current administrative position,  many other leadership experiences, an excellent teaching record and a successful history of conducting research give her the talents needed to successfully lead the M&NE Department.  

Thole's research interests include convective heat transfer, turbulence, boundary layers, experimental and computational methods, gas turbine heat transfer, and compact heat exchangers. Thole has been recognized with many honors and awards such as: William S. Cross Professor of Mechanical Engineering, 2005-present; ASME Fellow, 2004; University of Texas Mechanical Engineering Department Distinguished Alumni Award, 2004; College of Engineering Faculty Fellow, Virginia Tech, 2003-2005; AdvanceVT Professorship, 2003-present; Siemens-Westinghouse Distinguished Lecturer, 2002 and 2004; Ingersoll-Rand Faculty Award, Virginia Tech, 2001; W. M. Rohsenow for Best Presentation for the Gas Turbine Heat Transfer Committee, 1997 and the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, 1996.

Congratulations to Dr. Thole! The faculty, staff, and students in the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering look forward to working with you.