News Release

Andrew Douglas, associate dean for academic affairs in the Whiting School of Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University, has been appointed to serve as interim dean.

Douglas will fill the interim role from July 1 until a successor to Dean Ilene Busch-Vishniac arrives, likely by the beginning of 2004.

"He will have a lot on his plate, and I thank him for his willingness to take on this challenging assignment for the good of the school and the university," President William R. Brody said. "He is ideally qualified to guide the school through this transitional semester. He truly understands the unique mission of engineering education and the importance of research and teaching at the forefront of technological innovation."

Douglas joined Johns Hopkins in 1983, winning promotion to professor a decade later and serving as chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department from 1997 to 1999. He has been associate dean since July 1999. He has won Johns Hopkins awards for excellence in teaching and service to undergraduates.

A native of South Africa, Douglas earned undergraduate and master's degrees in civil engineering from the University of Cape Town (in 1975 and 1977) and master's and doctoral degrees in solid mechanics from Brown University (in 1979 and 1982). His research has focused on soft biological tissues and organs such as the heart and tongue. He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.