The School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia announced Friday the appointment of its first female dean, Jennifer L. West. She will start July 1.
A researcher, inventor and entrepreneur, West comes from Duke University, where she’s been associate dean of doctoral education for a little more than six years at the Pratt School of Engineering. She’s been the Fitzpatrick Family University Professor at the engineering school for nearly nine years, in the areas of biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering and materials science.
West previously was the first faculty member hired by Rice University to form its Department of Bioengineering. During her time at Rice, West helped develop curricula and hire faculty and played in integral role in the development of the university’s Bioscience Research Collaborative, a 477,000-square-foot facility where bioengineering faculty were co-located with key collaborative groups.
