SWART ACCEPTS POSITION AS PROVOST AND VICE CHANCELLOR AT ECU

After five years as dean of the College of Engineering and Technology, William Swart will step down July 31 to become provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at East Carolina University.

In a letter to faculty and staff, Swart said that he has thoroughly enjoyed his time at Old Dominion. "I am extremely proud of how far we, working together, have been able to take the College of Engineering and Technology during the last five years," he said. "Our enrollments look like they will be up again this year, research expenditures will again lead the University, and there are many exciting activities that are taking place in virtually every department."

At Old Dominion, Swart led a college of six departments and nearly 2,100 students. In his new position, he will be chief academic officer for a university with 1,274 faculty and more than 19,000 students enrolled in eleven professional schools, the Brody School of Medicine, and the College of Arts and Sciences. He will also oversee graduate studies and student life.

"Bill Swart provided excellent leadership for the College of Engineering and Technology during his five years as dean," said David R. Hager, acting provost. "His efforts and initiatives have positioned the college and the university to truly be 21st century leaders in engineering and technology education, research, and creative endeavors. Dean Swart brought a new vision to the College that has substantially transformed it and prepared it to meet its future."

Under Swart's leadership, the college has experienced exponential growth in key areas: research expenditures have increased by 123%, enrollments are up by 23%, and alumni and corporate support has grown by 267%. The College of Engineering and Technology now leads the university in research expenditures, external support, and research productivity by faculty.

Under Swart's direction, the College's Enterprise Centers, including the Virginia Modeling, Analysis & Simulation Center and the Center for Advanced Engineering Environments, developed and flourished. He is also credited with preparing the College to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century through initiatives like Global Engineering, e-Engineering, WOMENGINEERS, and the world's first Ph.D. program in modeling and simulation, and with improving the workplace climate for faculty and staff.

Swart, whose academic background is in industrial and systems engineering and operations research, came to Old Dominion in 1997 from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, where he was dean of the Newark College of Engineering.