USM Board of Regents Appoints Darryll J. Pines as President of University of Maryland, College Park

by cdawkins

The University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents has appointed Darryll J. Pines, Ph.D., as the 34th President of the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). Pines has spent 25 years on the College Park campus and is dean of the university’s A. James Clark School of Engineering. His appointment is effective July 1.

Pines has served as both Dean and the Nariman Farvardin Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the Clark School since January 2009. He first arrived in 1995 as an Assistant Professor and later served as Chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering from 2006 to 2009.

Pines has testified before Congress on STEM education and created the Top 25 Source Schools program for Maryland high schools. On the national level, he has led an effort as part of the P-12 Engineering Education Committee of the American Society for Engineering Education’s Engineering Deans Council to develop a first of its kind, nationwide, pre-college course on engineering principles and design. The pilot program, Engineering-For-US-All (E4USA), will implement a standardized educational curriculum across multiple states. The course, made possible through a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), is intended to provide the equivalent of placement and credit for an introductory college course. Pines is also the secretary for the Executive Committee of the National GEM Consortium, a national nonprofit providing programming and full fellowships to increase the number of domestic under- represented minority graduate students pursuing STEM fields.

“The Board is delighted to welcome as President of our flagship institution a leader of the caliber of Dr. Pines,” Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden said. “The University of Maryland, College Park is a world-class institution, and Dr. Pines brings to the position a wealth of experience. He knows intimately the strengths of the faculty, the energy of the students, and the circle of legislative and philanthropic support both in the State of Maryland and beyond. I can’t think of a better person to build on the excellence at the university and take it to even higher levels. I know I speak for the entire board when I say we’ve found precisely the right person for this important job-College Park will indeed be in good hands.”

“It is an honor to take on the leadership role at the University of Maryland, College Park-clearly one of our nation’s finest Research I universities-and one that I know and love so well,” said Pines. “As professor and dean of engineering, I am well acquainted with and have long admired the outstanding faculty, the executive leadership, and the passionate and civically engaged alumni and students who make Maryland such a special place. I’m excited by this new challenge and can’t wait to listen, learn, and lead this incredible university.”

During Pines’ leadership as Dean, the A. James Clark School of Engineering has been ranked as high as 18th among all institutions in the U.S. News and World Report graduate school rankings. He has served and continues to serve on the boards of several major corporations and not-for-profit organizations, including Engility Corp., Aurora Flight Sciences, and Underwriters Laboratory. In 2015, Pines was awarded the Maryland House of Delegates Speaker’s Medallion, presented to a citizen who has made an outstanding contribution to the state. In 2018, Pines was recognized with the University of Maryland President’s Medal, which is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a member of campus community by the President of the University. In 2019, Pines was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his“inspirational leadership and contributions to engineering education.”

Pines’ current research focuses on structural dynamics, including structural health monitoring and prognosis, smart sensors, and adaptive, morphing, and biologically-inspired structures, as well as the guidance, navigation, and control of aerospace vehicles. As a faculty supervisor, he has mentored over 50 MS and PhD students, and six postdoctoral scientists. Many of his graduates hold key positions in academia, industry and government. He is a fellow of the Institute of Physics, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and has received an NSF CAREER Award. Pines received a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. He earned MS and PhD degrees in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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