Inside Iowa State

July 2, 2004

New Engineering dean arrives Jan. 1

by Annette Hacker

Mark Kushner, Founder Professor of Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, will become dean of the College of Engineering effective Jan. 1, 2005.

He replaces James Melsa, who retired June 30. Vice president for academic affairs and provost Benjamin Allen will appoint an interim dean soon.

Kushner also will be the inaugural holder of the James L. and Katherine S. Melsa Professorship.

Internationally known researcher

"Dr. Kushner brings exceptional leadership skills and broad experience to our College of Engineering," said President Gregory Geoffroy. "He is an internationally known researcher in the study of plasmas, laser physics and spectroscopy, and he has an outstanding record as an administrator whose focus is on academic excellence and student achievement. We're delighted that he is joining Iowa State."

Kushner has held various engineering roles at Illinois since 1986, including assistant dean of academic programs, interim associate dean of administrative affairs, and interim head of electrical and computer engineering and chemical and biomolecular engineering.

Industrial experience

His industrial experience includes one year as a physicist at Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, N.M.; two years as a physicist, Advanced Lasers and Laser Isotope Separation Programs, at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, Calif.; and three years as principal research scientist and director of electron, atomic and molecular physics, Spectra Technology Inc., Bellevue, Wash.

Kushner holds three patents. He earned his doctoral (1979) and master's (1977) degrees in applied physics from the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena. He earned bachelor's degrees in nuclear engineering and astronomy from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1976.

Mark Kushner

"[Dr. Kushner] is an internationally known researcher in the study of plasmas, laser physics and spectroscopy, and he has an outstanding record as an administrator whose focus is on academic excellence and student achievement. We're delighted that he is joining Iowa State."

President Gregory Geoffroy