Buckwalter is a proven leader with more than 20 years of experience in academia and a deep passion for student success and faculty support. Most recently serving as provost at Boise State University, he led transformative interdisciplinary initiatives and championed student achievement.

鈥淒r. Buckwalter brings a results-driven mindset and a deep understanding of the mission of a public research university,鈥� 麻豆原创 President Alexander N. Cartwright says. 鈥淗is leadership reflects a clear focus on student success, faculty performance and excellence, and strengthening collaborative efforts that support workforce growth and economic development. I am confident he will be a strong partner in advancing 麻豆原创鈥檚 role as Florida鈥檚 Premier Engineering and Technology University and growing our university as an engine of opportunity and talent for the state of Florida.鈥�

鈥淚 am honored to join 麻豆原创 at such an exciting time in the university鈥檚 trajectory,鈥� Buckwalter said. 鈥淭he university鈥檚 momentum, commitment to excellence, and clear, strategic mission are inspiring and energizing. I look forward to working alongside the Board of Trustees, President Cartwright, faculty, employees and students to advance academic quality; support workforce and research needs; and deliver meaningful impact for our students, community, and state.鈥�

鈥淚 am honored to join 麻豆原创 at such an exciting time in the university鈥檚 trajectory.鈥� 鈥� John Buckwalter

Prior to Boise State, Buckwalter served as dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences at Kansas State University, where he expanded graduate programs, grew the college鈥檚 endowment by more than 40%, secured new research space and established an innovative, career-focused mentoring program for students. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at the University of Texas at Arlington, including associate dean for research and chair of the Department of Kinesiology.

Buckwalter holds a doctoral degree and master鈥檚 degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in exercise physiology from the University of Arkansas. He earned two bachelor鈥檚 degrees 鈥� one in Spanish and one in and health and physical education 鈥� from Centenary College. His research has focused on the neural and cardiovascular regulation of blood flow during exercise, and he is a fellow of both the American Physiological Society and the American College of Sports Medicine.

Buckwalter鈥檚 appointment follows a national search, led by a committee of students, faculty and employees, that brought forward an outstanding group of candidates who participated in on-campus visits with various stakeholder groups.

鈥淥n behalf of the search committee, we are thrilled to welcome Dr. Buckwalter to 麻豆原创,鈥� says Winston Schoenfeld, vice president of research and co-chair of the search committee. 鈥淗is distinguished record of academic leadership brings invaluable experience to 麻豆原创 that will help us reach our strategic goals, and I look forward to working closely with him to advance 麻豆原创鈥檚 research enterprise and elevate our impact across our region, our state and beyond.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 truly excited to welcome our new provost, Dr. Buckwalter,鈥� says Carolina Cruz-Neira, Agere Chair Professor in Computer Science and co-chair of the search committee. 鈥淗is leadership brings fresh momentum to our shared commitment to advancing faculty excellence and fostering a thriving environment for research and innovation. I look forward to collaborating with him to broaden 麻豆原创’s impact in our region, nation and the world.鈥�

Outgoing Provost Michael D. Johnson retires this summer following 35 years of service to 麻豆原创, first as a faculty member in the College of Sciences, then as the college鈥檚 dean before moving into the role of provost. Under his leadership, 麻豆原创 has grown into a world-class academic institution, recognized for top-ranked programs, renowned faculty and exceptional students.

鈥淥ver three decades of service 鈥� including during pivotal moments in our university鈥檚 growth 鈥� Provost Johnson has helped shape the excellence and ambition that define us today,鈥� Cartwright says. 鈥淧lease join me in warmly thanking him as we welcome Dr. Buckwalter to continue 麻豆原创鈥檚 trajectory of excellence and impact.鈥�

College of Engineering and Computer Science faculty are leaders in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), hypersonic travel, energy, next-generation computing hardware and aerospace, fields that are major economic drivers for Florida and that are critical to our state and nation鈥檚 future.

Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report‘s ranked nine of 麻豆原创’s other graduate programs among the top 50 on the 2024 Best Graduate Schools list.

This pioneering engineering research by expert 麻豆原创 faculty prepares students to thrive in their careers, as does 麻豆原创鈥檚 longstanding relationships with industry partners who are eager to hire talented students. Partners include Electronic Arts, Lockheed Martin, NASA, Northrop Grumman, Siemens, Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.

Collectively, 麻豆原创鈥檚 cutting-edge, high-impact teaching practices and partnerships have drawn many recognitions, including the latest from U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 Best Graduate Schools rankings.

Today, U.S. News & World Report ranks three of 麻豆原创鈥檚 engineering and computer science graduate programs among the top 50 in the nation. The industrial/manufacturing/systems engineering program is ranked No. 43, aerospace is No. 47 and computer engineering is No. 50. Two other programs 鈥� materials engineering and electrical/electronic/communications engineering 鈥� ranked just outside the top 50, at No. 52 and No. 53 respectively.

A total of nine engineering and computer science programs rank among the top 50 among the nation鈥檚 public universities.

鈥淥ur outstanding engineering faculty are conducting impactful research that is advancing our knowledge of space, modeling and simulation, virtual and augmented reality, and many other high-tech fields,鈥� says Michael D. Johnson, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. 鈥淭hey are innovators and inventors fueling our region鈥檚 economy and our society鈥檚 quality of life, healthcare, energy and transportation systems, and they excel at preparing our graduates to thrive in their careers.鈥�

Twenty-nine percent of Kennedy Space Center employees and 25% of Lockheed Martin鈥檚 Orlando employees earned 麻豆原创 degrees. Aviation Week Network has named 麻豆原创 the No. 1 supplier of graduates to the aerospace and defense industry for six consecutive years.

Bringing More Brilliant Minds Together

麻豆原创鈥檚 College of Engineering and Computer Science produces 25% of Florida鈥檚 engineering and computer science graduates, according to the State University System. The college鈥檚 goal is to educate 25,000 engineering and technology students by increasing capacity by 50%.

One important path to achieving that goal is to expand the college鈥檚 faculty. Last year and this year combined, the college has hired 55 new faculty members, including many with expertise in the strategic investment program areas identified by the university, such as AI, energy, next-generation computing hardware, space-aerospace, digital twin and infectious diseases. The new faculty hires will further strengthen the college鈥檚 research initiatives and opportunities for students to learn alongside talented faculty in the classroom and in research labs.

Plans for this fall also include one new degree program. The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering will launch a master of science in robotics and autonomous systems program. Students will learn to analyze, design and develop robotics and autonomous systems including self-driving cars, drones, medical robots and even mechanical dogs.

The new faculty and degree program join a host of current 麻豆原创 engineering and computer science faculty who are conducting groundbreaking research:

• Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Professor Kareem Ahmed received Department of Defense funding that鈥檚 establishing 麻豆原创 as a leader in hypersonics and space propulsion research. Hypersonic propulsion would allow for air travel at speeds of Mach 6 to 17, or more than 4,600 to 13,000 miles per hour, and has applications in commercial and space travel.

• Sudipta Seal, chair of materials science and engineering, and Ozlem Garibay, assistant professor in industrial engineering and management systems, have created an Al-based prediction method that helps develop life-saving medicines and treatments for various diseases with up to 97% accuracy.

• Tarek Elgohary, an associate professor of aerospace engineering, is developing algorithms that will accurately track space objects like asteroids and satellites so they don鈥檛 collide with spacecraft. It鈥檚 a vital tool given the rapid growth of space junk in cislunar space, which stretches from Earth to just beyond the moon鈥檚 orbit.

• Carolina Cruz-Neira, the Agere Chair Professor at the 麻豆原创 Department of Computer Science and a member of the National Academy of Engineering, is a pioneer in the areas of virtual reality and interactive visualization, having created and deployed a variety of technologies that have become standard tools in industry, government and academia.鈥疘n a few weeks, she will be inducted into the inaugural Augmented World Expo (AWE) XR Hall of Fame, joining an elite international group of 100 researchers, entrepreneurs, artists and others. Cruz-Neira was one of just 22 researchers selected. 鈥淚t is not well known that 麻豆原创 has one of, if not the, largest concentration of VR researchers in the U.S.,鈥� she says. 鈥淥f course, the strong reputation of 麻豆原创 as a leader in modeling and simulation ties very well with the ecosystem.鈥�

In addition, the internationally recognized Collegiate Cyber Defense Club at 麻豆原创 won first place at the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition in April. The club has been sending student teams around the world to compete against other universities since 2013. In all, 麻豆原创 cybersecurity teams have earned 87 first place awards 鈥� including five NCCDC titles 鈥� 29 second-place and 25 third-place awards. The competitions allow 麻豆原创 students to sharpen their skills before cybersecurity professionals and are hosted by companies from private industry, such as IBM, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Raymond James, Raytheon and several federal agencies.

We are making exciting progress on our next strategic plan; launching Workday, our new, cloud-based ERP system; aligning our HR and finance processes through our service enhancement transformation (SET); and rolling out a new budget model that is more transparent and will allow for a more strategic allocation of our resources. I am thankful for everyone鈥檚 dedication to these efforts 鈥� I know many of you have accepted new responsibilities and will make long-term, positive impacts through these transformations.

To ensure we are best positioned to build on this momentum, I am excited to share several leadership updates with the campus community.

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

It is my pleasure to announce that after consultation with members of the campus community and the Board of Trustees, I have appointed Dr. Michael D. Johnson as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. After two years as Interim Provost and a 31-year career at 麻豆原创 as a dean and professor, Provost Johnson will provide consistent leadership and stability as we focus on our future. He will serve in this position through at least June 2025, and we will launch his five-year review in late 2024. His strong leadership, character, passion for faculty and students, and institutional knowledge are invaluable. He has been critical to 麻豆原创鈥檚 pandemic response and the success of key strategic initiatives across campus. I congratulate him and consider our institution fortunate to have him at the helm of the Office of the Provost and Academic Affairs.

Research and Graduate Studies

Since arriving in 2016, Dr. Elizabeth Klonoff has served as both Vice President for Research and as Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. Under her leadership, 麻豆原创 saw records set for sponsored research awards five years in a row 鈥� including $212.9 million in the last fiscal year. The profile and ranking of our graduate programs have also soared.

麻豆原创 has reached a point in our research and graduate education endeavors where we cannot expect a single person to lead both areas. For this reason, the provost and I have decided to separate the two positions, and we have asked Dr. Klonoff to continue serving in the role of Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. We will launch a search for a Vice President for Research later this spring. Dr. Klonoff will continue to provide leadership for our research activities until a new Vice President is named. We are thankful for all she has contributed to 麻豆原创 and for her continued leadership and commitment to this institution鈥檚 bright future.

Analytics and Integrated Planning

As we focus on our future, it will be vital for 麻豆原创 to be data-driven and to operate in a fully data-enabled environment where analytics help to guide our decisions and improve our operations. To this end, I have appointed Dr. Paige Borden 鈥�95MBA 鈥�00EdD, our current Associate Provost and Chief Analytics Officer for Academic Affairs, to serve on my cabinet as the university鈥檚 Chief Analytics Officer. 麻豆原创鈥檚 Analytics and Integrated Planning team, led by Dr. Borden, has already provided powerful insights and direction that have enhanced our decision-making, outcomes improvements, and efficiencies; I look forward to broadening their impact across the institution.

I could not be more enthusiastic about the future of this university and the team we are building. I also look forward to completing the searches for our Sr. Vice President for Advancement and Partnerships and Sr. Vice President for Student Success before the end of the fiscal year.

I am inspired every day by the amazing work and devotion I see from each of you and our students. We are working to enhance our operations and align our leadership to create the best possible outcomes for all of Knight Nation.

Go Knights. Charge On!
Alexander N. Cartwright
麻豆原创 President聽

Hagan joined 麻豆原创 in 1987 and is a founding faculty member of CREOL, 麻豆原创鈥檚 renowned Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers. Since December 2019, he has served as the college鈥檚 interim dean and was previously an associate dean for academic programs.

鈥淒avid is a top scholar and a seasoned leader. I am grateful that he has accepted this important responsibility, as I know his colleagues are as well,鈥� says Johnson. 鈥淚 look forward to working with him to keep the College of Optics and Photonics on its remarkable upward trajectory.鈥�

As dean, Hagan will direct efforts to advance the college鈥檚 world-class excellence in optics, lasers and photonics, particularly in research, education and industry partnerships. Hagan鈥檚 appointment concludes an intensive search process for the successor of former Dean Bahaa E.A. Saleh, who led the college for a decade before returning to the faculty.

Hagan has been a major influence in shaping curriculum in the college and is highly accomplished in teaching and research. Aside from being a Pegasus Professor, which is the highest distinction a faculty member can earn at 麻豆原创, Hagan is an International Society for Optics and Photonic Fellow, an Optical Society of America Fellow and a senior member of the IEEE Photonics Society.

鈥淚 am honored to have been chosen to lead the exceptional group of faculty, students and staff that form CREOL and the College of Optics and Photonics,” Hagan says. “This is an exciting time for 麻豆原创 as we pursue the goal of becoming a top 50 U.S. public research university. I will make sure that optics and photonics are right up front, leading the charge.鈥�

Hagan earned his bachelor of science and his doctorate in physics at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

We have adapted to new ways of learning, working and living. We have learned how to live with the pandemic and adopt new behaviors to minimize its spread. And with the mass availability of many effective vaccines gaining momentum, we are hopeful for a return to something closer to normal, even though the pandemic will be part of our reality for some time.

It is in that spirit that the university is planning a full return to face-to-face learning, working and university activities beginning in the fall. We will continue to operate as we have been through the summer. We plan to increase our number of sections offered face-to-face in the Summer B term, but all summer courses will be conducted within the same physical distancing and other COVID policy requirements that currently are in effect in our classrooms.

A full return in the fall means that capacity restrictions will be lifted and most courses will be on campus. However, we expect that our other health measures 鈥� such as wearing masks, extra hand washing and increased cleaning 鈥� will continue. We will, of course, also offer a robust online learning program, as we did before COVID-19. And although most employees will return to campus, we expect, based on what we have learned from our experience during the pandemic, that some employees may be allowed to continue to work remotely part- or full-time. We may also need to continue to be cautious with employees with identified high-risk health concerns, depending on the pandemic鈥檚 progression.

麻豆原创 will continue to carefully monitor public health conditions and maintain regular communication with health officials, and we will be at any time if necessary.

In the weeks ahead, you will hear more about expectations for the transition to more face-to-face learning and working, including plans for the student experience and activities.

We hope to be selected as a mass vaccination site, an event for which we have . We are also awaiting the expansion of eligibility criteria by the State of Florida, along with the delivery of more vaccines. It is likely that essential workers 鈥� including faculty and staff members 鈥� and eventually students will be able to receive vaccines at 麻豆原创. If this indeed becomes possible, we will share information about eligibility and how to make appointments.

I know there are many questions and uncertainties. You can expect to hear more details from Academic Affairs, Human Resources and Student Development and Enrollment Services very soon.

Please stay vigilant 鈥� wear your mask properly, keep your physical distance, avoid large gatherings and wash or sanitize your hands frequently. Cases have been dropping recently in the state, the Orlando region and at 麻豆原创.

Let鈥檚 keep it going. Armor Up, Knights!

Michael D. Johnson
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

We want to acknowledge in a tangible way the remarkable work of our faculty and staff this year and all you will continue to do in the year to come.

Because our financial position does not let us offer raises, we have approved a one-time payment of $1,200 for all eligible faculty and staff members.

Since one-time payments must be collectively bargained for all in-unit employees, we are happy to announce that 麻豆原创 has reached agreement with PBA and AFSCME. These in-unit employees, as well as eligible out-of-unit employees, will have this one-time payment included in paychecks on January 29. Updates regarding UFF will be shared as soon as available.

Out-of-unit A&P employees and out-of-unit faculty employees who have an administrative title (chairs, deans and other positions of leadership) with a salary of $200,000 or more will not be eligible for this one-time payment.

Please visit the Human Resources website for information about eligibility requirements.

Every day at 麻豆原创 reaffirms our belief that it is our people who make this an amazing place and fill it with limitless potential. It has been inspiring to see you innovate and help our students excel. We hope you have a wonderful and restful winter break, and we look forward to opportunities to connect with more of you in 2021.

With gratitude,

Alexander N. Cartwright, 麻豆原创 president

Michael D. Johnson, interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs聽