UK College of Engineering Names New Dean

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 30, 2018) — Rudolph G. Buchheit has been selected as the next dean of the University of Kentucky College of Engineering, pending approval by the UK Board of Trustees. Professor Buchheit is associate dean for academic affairs and administration of the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University, an academic unit comprising more than 350 faculty members, 400 staff members, 8,500 undergraduate students and 2,200 graduate students.

During his tenure, Buchheit supervised the recruitment of a three-year faculty cohort that was 45 percent women and diverse men, and he oversaw an operating budget of $240 million including $130 million in research expenditures. Buchheit is passionate about student and faculty success and the prospect of building upon the College of Engineering’s considerable momentum.

"I am absolutely delighted to be joining the faculty, staff and students in the College of Engineering. I look forward to the opportunity to grow and further strengthen the college’s academic programs and research impact for the benefit of the college’s stakeholders, the university and the Commonwealth," Buchheit said.

Buchheit earned his bachelor's degree in engineering science at Loyola University Maryland. He also has a master's degree and doctoral degree in materials science from the University of Virginia. Buchheit served as department chair of Materials Science and Engineering at Ohio State from October 2006-August 2014.

Before joining Ohio State, Buchheit was a senior member of the technical staff in the Materials and Process Sciences Directorate at Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico.

Buchheit's research is in the area of corrosion science and engineering with emphasis on the chemistry and electrochemistry of corrosion, corrosion modeling and corrosion prediction; mostly related to aluminum alloys and products. He has also worked in the area of surface engineering, including surface modification and corrosion resistant coatings.

Buchheit is a fellow of NACE International. He is also a fellow of the Electrochemical Society. He has served on the editorial board for Corrosion Engineering, Science and Technology. He has served as an ABET program evaluator for materials-oriented programs and is a past chair of the University Materials Council.

Buchheit is the recipient of the H.H. Uhlig Educator’s Award from NACE and the Morris Cohen Award from the Corrosion Division of the Electrochemical Society. He is also the recipient of the Stanley E. Harrison Faculty Award from the College of Engineering at Ohio State and is a two-time recipient of the Charles Ellison MacQuigg Award for outstanding teaching.

Buchheit succeeds Lawrence Holloway, who has served as interim dean since July 2016.

"I believe the UK College of Engineering is in a position of strength. We continue to graduate a high number of engineers who find rewarding careers. Our faculty members produce high-level research that impacts lives. Incoming students are welcomed into a tested plan for academic success that prepares them for meaningful careers. The college is positively impacting our communities through our students and our research, and we are on a path to grow that impact significantly," Holloway said. "It has been a privilege to serve as interim dean these past two years, and I am profoundly grateful for the journey."

Buchheit will begin his tenure at UK July 1.