Engineering dean to leave position after eleven years

The University announced Tuesday that engineering school dean James Wei would resign at the end of the academic year.

Wei cited his age and the length of his term as reasons for his resignation.

"Eleven years is enough, and I am age 71," he said in an e-mail.

Wei said he will go on a sabbatical next year to finish a book on "molecular structure and properties" and then will return to the Univer-sity to teach and continue his research.

Former President Harold Shapiro appointed Wei to his current position in 1991. At the end of his 10th year, Wei said he went to Shapiro to inform him he would resign in June 2002.

During his more-than 10-year career, Wei oversaw a number of projects at the engineering school. They included the completion of the Friend Engineering Center and the hiring of faculty members in developing fields, such as nanotechnology and computer science.

Wei said the school's major ac-complishment was the "students and faculty we attracted in the last decade, and their achievements and honors."

However, the dean said he believes the school needs to improve its national recongition and attract more A.B. students to enroll in its courses.

"We need to become one of the five best engineering schools in the nation," Wei said. "We need to expand engineering courses for A.B. students, to include all of them in taking one or more courses in engineering."

Forty percent of undergraduates take at least one engineering course, according to the University website.

President Tilghman praised Wei and said she regretted she would not have the opportunity to work with him more extensively.

"Dean Wei has served with great distinction as Dean of SEAS, and I was sorry that I was not going to have the opportunity to work with him for a longer time," Tilghman said in an e-mail.

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During the summer, Tilghman appointed several faculty members to a search committee to find a replacement, said committee chair and electrical engineering professor Sigmund Wagner.

At the beginning of the academic year, "the committee first worked to identify the goals for the school and the new dean," Wagner said in an e-mail. "At present the committee members are soliciting advice on the search from highly respected and experienced engineers in universities and industry."

Wagner said the committee has yet to discuss specific candidates for the position.

"Our goal is to attract a candidate who is committed to the highest level of excellence in research and teaching, is an expert in forming creative links across the University and with outside institutions and industry and can suffuse all constituencies of the University with this commitment," Wagner said.

Wei's departure marks the second resignation of a major dean in a span of one month. Wilson School dean Michael Rothschild announced his resignation Oct. 1.

Tilghman would not comment on the series of resignations, but Wei said there was no correlation between Tilghman's administration and his decision to resign.

Rather, he said he regretted not being able to work with Tilghman and her administration.

"I deeply admire the new administration and wish I had more time to work with them," Wei said.