dean’s message

College of Engineering

John R. English, dean, College of Engineering

 

It is my pleasure to join the Kansas State University faculty as dean of the College of Engineering. Since arriving in Manhattan, several people have asked me what drew me to K-State and the College of Engineering. For me, it was K-State’s professional community and tradition of excellence in engineering education.

Throughout the nation, K-State’s College of Engineering has a built a strong reputation as a comprehensive program that excels at teaching the fundamentals and preparing students to contribute to the ever-changing field of engineering. It’s a place where the Midwestern work ethic extends from faculty and staff to students and where extraordinary faculty members produce outstanding engineers. It’s a place that honors its land grant institution heritage with service to the state of Kansas, our nation and our world, and values the role of diversity and international experiences.

It was these things that brought me to Manhattan and K-State’s College of Engineering. I am very honored to be part of such a long tradition of excellence and look forward to continuing this legacy. To do this, I believe we must accomplish three things:

We must remain the engineering college of choice for Kansans

Our outstanding reputation makes Kansas State University engineering a school of choice for Kansas students and for those in this region. It is not just our history that brings students to the College of Engineering — it’s also scholarships and financial support. As an undergraduate student, I was provided with an opportunity to work on a military radar project with a professor in electrical engineering. This “paid” experience supported my financial needs and more importantly secured my desire to complete my undergraduate degree in electrical engineering.

In a time of decreasing state support for public universities and increasing tuition costs, students today are more sensitive to the cost of their education. Now more than ever, we must work to make sure we are awarding outstanding students competitively.

We must continue to recruit and retain the best faculty

We all had that one professor who said or did something that changed our lives. For me, it was a faculty member who talked to me about being a college professor. He altered my career path. And I was not the only one influenced by this professor, hundreds of students were influenced by this person.

I believe our faculty members in the College of Engineering touch the lives of countless students. To guarantee our strong teaching tradition for future generations of engineers, we must find new ways to recruit excellent faculty and reward them at a level that keeps them here at Kansas State University.

We must take the next step

In order to maintain our tradition of excellence, we must also look to the future. I believe K-State is well-positioned for an exciting future of innovative teaching and research initiatives, and broad-reaching service activities within our professional communities. K-State engineering is committed to scholastic excellence.

Our tradition of excellence in undergraduate education is built upon research opportunities for faculty and students. In a research environment, faculty are engaged in cutting-edge discoveries and invigorated with new problems and possibilities. It is important for undergraduate students to gain hands-on, real-world research experiences with faculty and graduate students. At the same time, I feel the College of Engineering should develop and disseminate technical advances that improve our country’s global competitive position.

With the College of Engineering’s exceptional faculty, staff and students, our impact on the community, state, nation and the world is ours to harness. I hope you will join me in ushering in another exciting era for the College of Engineering.

About John R. English

John R. English assumed the role of dean of the College of Engineering at Kansas State University in July 2007.

English served as head of the department of industrial engineering in the College of Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayeteville, before coming to K-State. From February 2000 to September 2005, English was also director of the Center for Engineering Logistics and Distribution, a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center with eight partner universities.

He held a number of positions at the University of Arkansas including economic development officer, director of a technology incubator and full professor. He also taught at Texas A&M University and Oklahoma State University. English’s industry experience includes a post at AT&T Communications. He has published numerous journal articles, book chapters and other writings.

English earned a doctorate in industrial engineering and management from Oklahoma State University. He holds a master's degree in operations research and a bachelor's in electrical engineering, both from the University of Arkansas. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the state of Arkansas. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have a daughter, Sara Marie.