Savinell named Case School of Engineering dean
by Marci Hersh
Robert Savinell has been appointed dean of the Case School of Engineering (CSE) and the George S. Dively Professor of Engineering at CWRU. Savinell, a resident of Solon, has served as interim dean of CSE since September 2000. His appointment as CSE dean was effective December 10 and will have a 10-year term.
As dean, Savinell will be responsible for undergraduate and graduate education and research programs. He will review recommendations for faculty appointments, promotions, and tenure and develop the annual operating budget. Savinell will assume full responsibility for alumni relations and fund raising to support the school's operating budget and capital needs.
"Robert Savinell has demonstrated a distinguished record in teaching, research, and administration as professor and interim dean of the Case School of Engineering," said James Wagner, interim president of CWRU. "Bob has developed a clear vision for the future of the school. With his exceptional research experience, he is well positioned to work with faculty to help strengthen the school's interdisciplinary efforts and promote opportunities for the University to interact with industry. I know that he will continue to make important contributions to existing as well as new programs at the Case School of Engineering."
Savinell is noted for his contributions in applied electrochemistry, with emphasis most recently on fuel cells and batteries. His research involves the study of electrochemical reactions in electrodes, and developing novel electrochemical devices for sensing and energy conversion. His CWRU research group has developed a prototype of a miniature fuel cell the size of a quarter of a postage stamp for the U.S. Department of Defense. The fuel cell could provide power for microsystems technology like portable computers, night vision goggles, and navigation equipment.
Savinell joined the CWRU faculty in 1986. He was promoted to professor of chemical engineering in 1989, and since 1991 has served as director of the Yeager Center for Electrochemical Sciences. He also has served as the school's associate dean for research since 1998.
Before joining CWRU, Savinell was associate professor of chemical engineering at the University of Akron. He received his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from Cleveland State University in 1973, and his M.S. in 1974 and Ph.D. in 1977 from the University of Pittsburgh.
In 2000, Savinell was elected as a Fellow of the Electrochemical Society. Savinell has also served as the editor of the Journal of the Electrochemical Society, North American editor of the Journal of Applied Electrochemistry, director of the Electrochemical Society, and vice president of the International Society of Electrochemistry. He has more than 100 publications in the field of electrochemical engineering, has received approximately 10 patents, and has a patent pending.
"I look forward to working with Bob in his role as dean, providing support to assist him and the faculty in continuing with the fine progress that the Case School of Engineering has made," said Wagner.
As interim dean, Savinell has demonstrated his dedication to technology transfer, industrial relations, intellectual property rights, proposals, contract negotiation, and cost sharing. He has increased the efficiency of processing research proposals and developed policies and procedures for sharing costs. He has been a major participant in local, state, and national policy making that affects research enterprises; has strengthened interdepartmental research projects; and has expanded collaborations outside of the Case School of Engineering, focusing on intellectual property rights and the development of multiple agreements to facilitate contract negotiations with industry.
CSE offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in nine disciplines. It has an enrollment of 932 undergraduate students and 605 graduate students, 108 full time faculty, 14,000 alumni, and an endowment of $147 million. External research support amounts to $25.6 million, or about $237,000 per faculty member. Twelve present and past members of the CWRU engineering faculty have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest honors given to an engineer.
The Case School of Engineering has more than a century of tradition in engineering education and research. Founded in 1880, today the school is listed in the top 25 percent of the nation's 186 graduate programs as ranked in "America's Best Graduate Schools," published by U.S. News and World Report. The school's biomedical engineering ranked fifth and the polymer chemistry program ranked sixth in 1999, which was the last time the field was ranked.
