Just three years after arriving at the University, Dean of Engineering Maria Klawe will resign June 30 to take over as the fifth president of Harvey Mudd College (HMC), a science-focused university in Claremont, Calif.
The search to replace Klawe will begin shortly, President Tilghman said in an email.
"We will proceed with dispatch to name the next dean, whom I hope will bring vision and energy to the task," she said. "If we do this, there will be no downside at all."
Though Klawe's tenure at the University was short, she was able to initiate a strategic plan outlining the longterm future of Princeton engineering. The plan, which emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach to engineering, was completed in 2004 and will ease the transition to the next dean, Tilghman said.
"Dean Klawe leaves behind a good framework on which we will build on to assure the future success of SEAS [School of Engineering and Applied Sciences]," Tilghman said.
Klawe said her role at HMC will parallel what she has accomplished at Princeton.
"Both positions involve setting and implementing a strategic vision for a school that focuses on educating leaders in engineering and science who will make a significant difference to the world," she said in an email.
"Mudd is in its 50th year," she added. "Its mission statement is still highly current but it needs a new strategic plan for how this mission should be fulfilled in the 21st century. The short-term goal is to work with students, faculty, staff, trustees and alumni to create that plan."
Over the course of her presidency, Klawe hopes to "make HMC a 21st century showcase institution for outstanding engineering, science and math education."
Recruitment
HMC, the math, science and engineering branch of the Claremont Colleges consortium, began recruiting Klawe last summer.
"I kept on telling them that I really wasn't interested in leaving Princeton at this point but they kept on persuading me to just talk to one more person, to go one more step with the process," Klawe said.
HMC's persistence eventually won her over, and Klawe decided to leave last month. Even then, Klawe said, it was "the hardest decision I've made in my life, as I really did not want to leave Princeton at this point."
"In the end I felt that, over the five years, I would have more impact by going to Mudd," Klawe explained, noting that "the [strategic] plan is already in place at Princeton and there are other people here who could do a great job of leading the school."
Replacement
The new dean will join the University at a time when the strategic plan has been completed but not yet implemented, electrical engineering chair Peter Ramadge said.
Ramadge said the new dean should have "some leadership skills, a vision to push us forward and new insights in how we can get where we want to go," and will need to sustain the momentum built by Klawe's strategic plan.
"The watchword around here is momentum," director of engineering communications Steve Schultz said.
"Any time there is a departure, there are some rough spots," he added. "But I get a great sense of momentum among people, and I think the feeling is that there's a lot to do and things are going to proceed."
Strategic plan
Klawe's strategic plan reached completion during Reunions in 2004. More than 800 people took part in its development, which spanned 11 day-long sessions, Schultz said.
In the long term, the plan is to make SEAS a more interdisciplinary school that integrates social awareness and leadership.
"Maria is leaving us with a plan that a lot of people are very excited about. We want undergraduates to have a sense that if you like math and science and you want to make a difference in the world, than engineering and science is a good way to make a positive difference," Schultz said.
The engineering community can already see the manifestations of this effort. Plans for a new building are in the making, new courses are being offered, and the EQuad has undergone renovations — including the creation of the EQuad Café.
Time at Princeton
With only one semester left in her Princeton career, Klawe shared her gratitude for the experience. "I feel very lucky to have had the last three years at Princeton," she said. "I have learned so much. I have made so many lifelong friends. And best of all, I've been part of an incredibly exciting effort to create and implement a vision and plan for Princeton engineering. I'm very grateful to everyone who has made this possible."
While she "will miss the people, especially the students, the most," Klawe looks forward to "sunshine, being on the west coast, [and] being at a highly innovative place that is truly excellent but doesn't take itself too seriously."
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