Syracuse University Dean Edward Bogucz appointed executive director of the Center of Excellence in Environmental Systems

Syracuse University Dean Edward Bogucz appointed executive director of the Center of Excellence in Environmental SystemsAugust 20, 2003Kelly Homan Rodoskikahoman@syr.edu

Edward Bogucz, dean of Syracuse University’s L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), has been named executive director of the Center of Excellence in Environmental Systems (COE-ES).

Bogucz has been the coordinator of the Center of Excellence since its inception in June 2002, while simultaneously serving as dean. He has asked Vice Chancellor and Provost Deborah A. Freund to conduct a search for a new dean so that he can devote all of his efforts to the advancement of the Center of Excellence. “With all of the resources we have coming and all of the work that we need to do in the coming years, I want to go full throttle on the Center of Excellence programs,” says Bogucz. “That is my highest priority.”

“Ed is the visionary and leader of the Center of Excellence, and I know that his talents are best utilized in that role,” Freund says. “The success of the college is closely aligned with the success of the Center of Excellence, so I also think this move is best for the college.” Freund says that an internal search for a new dean will begin immediately; Bogucz will continue as dean until his successor is selected.

“Once again, Ed Bogucz has stepped up when needed,” says Chancellor Kenneth A. Shaw. “He agreed to accept a very challenging assignment as dean eight years ago and now is taking on another challenge–one of utmost importance to the University, the region and the state. I greatly respect Dean Bogucz for being there when needed.”

In his new role, Bogucz will report to Ben Ware, SU’s vice president for research and computing. “I have been asking Ed to consider making this change for the past year or so, and I am just delighted that he has decided to devote his full attention to the Center of Excellence,” Ware says.

“Our entire effort in indoor environmental quality arose from Ed’s initial vision several years ago,” Ware says. “Throughout the long process of developing this program, Ed has been our most passionate and tireless contributor. He has the right research background to lead the academic program, and he has the skills and commitment to work with our industrial partners to commercialize these new technologies to create jobs in Central New York.”

The CoE-ES is a consortium led by Syracuse University; 11 universities and research institutions perform collaborative research to develop new technologies related to environmental quality of indoor environments and urban ecosystems. These technologies are commercialized by industrial partners who are members of the New York Indoor Environmental Quality Center (NYIEQ). Bogucz will work closely with the soon-to-be-appointed new executive director of the NYIEQ to promote joint projects and assure effective commercialization of new technologies as they are developed.

“Edward Bogucz is an outstanding choice to lead the Center of Excellence in Environmental Systems,” says Orrin MacMurray, chair of the NYIEQ Board of Directors. “His close working relationship with the NYIEQ, as one of its founding board members, and with the Central New York business community, developed during his highly effective years as the dean of ECS, makes him uniquely well qualified and prepared to take on this new challenge.”

The Center of Excellence has been awarded grants totaling more than $37 million from New York State and federal grants totaling more than $20 million. The largest federal grants come from the Environmental Protection Agency through the efforts of U.S. Rep. James Walsh.

Bogucz has served as interim dean or dean of ECS since 1995. He has led a transformation of the college that began during the final years of institutional restructuring. Notable achievements include development and implementation of a strategic plan that focused resources in selected areas and led to the hiring of 19 faculty members; the successful merger of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the School of Computer Science; and a range of curricular changes and new programs to support success and improve retention of undergraduate students.

During his tenure, sponsored research expenditures have increased by 120 percent since 1997 and now exceed $12 million annually; the graduation rate of ECS undergraduates has increased by 23 percentage points and is higher than the University-wide rate for the first time; and the size and quality of entering ECS undergraduate cohorts are the strongest in more than 15 years.

ECS has had a string of significant, high profile successes in research and graduate education, including a $16 million award from New York State to establish a Strategically Targeted Academic Research (STAR) Center, a $2.5 million National Science Foundation (NSF) award for multidisciplinary systems assurance graduate education, and designation as a finalist in the prestigious NSF Engineering Research Center competition.

“The transformation of the college is now providing unprecedented opportunities to advance the standing of the college nationally,” Freund says.