Joseph W. Tedesco has been named dean of the Cullen College of Engineering at the University of Houston. The appointment is effective Jan. 1, 2008.

Tedesco is currently professor and chairman of the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering at the University of Florida. He has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s in civil engineering from Tufts University and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Lehigh University. He is a Registered Professional Engineer in the states of Florida and Alabama and is the author of the internationally renowned textbook “Structural Dynamics: Theory and Applications.”

"I am delighted the Cullen College will benefit from the leadership skills of Joe Tedesco," said Don Foss, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. "He has a wealth of positive experience in both the teaching and the research domains, and has been a highly effective leader of his department at the University of Florida. Consistent with our emphasis on multidisciplinary work, he has been a leader and participant in numerous multi-million dollar consortia. I look forward to working with him in support of the Cullen College of Engineering and the University of Houston."

Tedesco will be the college’s sixth dean.

Professor Fritz Claydon’s appointment as interim dean has been extended to run through the end of the calendar year, Foss said. "I appreciate his willingness to serve his colleagues and the university in this way," he added. Raymond W. Flumerfelt, who served as dean since 1998, retired from that position on July 31.

Tedesco has also held academic positions at Auburn University, Oregon State University and Lehigh University. He is a six-time U.S. Air Force Research Fellow and has worked in residence at several Air Force Research Laboratories, including Tyndall AFB and Eglin AFB. His field of specialization is structural engineering, and his research interests include finite element modeling of structures, response of structures to dynamic loads and high strain rate effects on materials and structures. He has served as principal investigator on more than 25 federally funded research projects.

A photograph of Tedesco can be viewed at http://www.uh.edu/admin/media/nr/2007/08aug/jtedescoph.html.

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