UA engineering dean to resign

Ashok Saxena, dean of the University of Arkansas College of Engineering and holder of the Irma F. and Raymond F. Giffels Endowed Chair in Engineering, has announced he will resign as dean on July 1.

Saxena has accepted a two-year appointment as the senior leader at Galgotias University, a new private, multidisciplinary research university near Delhi, India.

“I have tremendously enjoyed working with my faculty colleagues, the staff, the alumni, the administration and the students at the University of Arkansas for the past eight-plus years,” said Saxena. “I am proud of the accomplishments and the advances made by the College of Engineering during my period as dean and feel very fortunate to have been surrounded by outstanding and very dedicated colleagues. The college is poised to reach even greater heights in the future.”

“Thanks to Ashok and his incredibly strong faculty and staff, the College of Engineering has earned an international reputation for academic excellence, scholarship and innovation,” said Sharon Gaber, provost. “Chancellor Gearhart and I are committed to appointing a leader who will continue in this tradition of achievement.

“He has been given an opportunity which many people in higher education—faculty, staff and administrators alike—can only dream of: being given the resources and authority to start a university from square one,” Gaber continued.

Saxena will be serving as the vice-chancellor of the university, which in the Indian/British system is the campus CEO.

Terry Martin, associate dean of the College of Engineering, will be serving as interim dean for one year, while a search for a replacement is conducted. Saxena will return to the university as a faculty member after his appointment at Galgotias ends.