Bill Rosehart appointed dean of Schulich

Bill Rosehart says it is a great time to be taking the position of dean at the Schulich School of Engineering at the University of Calgary.

"There are many wonderful things happening at Schulich," says Rosehart, who had been interim dean since July 2013. "We are in a period of very positive transformation over the coming years and so it's an exciting time to be in this role."

The university is driving toward its Eyes High goal to become one of the top five research universities in Canada by 2016. "It is full steam ahead," he says. "We've been doing a lot of work and we have a good trajectory toward 2016."

The school is completing a strategic plan that will help it become one of the best engineering schools in Canada, and a $158 million expansion and renovation project is underway that will enable the school to welcome at least 400 additional undergraduate and graduate students.

"Schulich is going through a major physical transformation which is a significant investment from the province as well as from our community," says Rosehart. "It is going to set us up well in terms of quality space for teaching, learning and research."

The school plays a major role in the university's new energy research strategy: Energy Innovations for Today and Tomorrow. "There is a global interest around energy and we are strongly positioned with respect to energy and environment," says Rosehart. "Being in the energy capital of Canada, which is a significant energy player globally, is a very stimulating place to be."

Rosehart started in the Schulich School of Engineering in 2001 and was head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering before being appointed interim dean. He has won two Students' Union Teaching Excellence Awards, was twice named Professor of the Year in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering twice and was named one of Avenue Magazine's Calgary's Top 40 under 40 in 2007.

He was a founding member of the Canadian Engineering Education Association, chairs the university's PURE (Program for Undergraduate Research Experience) awards committee and is a strong researcher, with continuous (NSERC) Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada funding for more than a decade.

Rosehart is looking forward to continuing the important work with donors and industry partners to bring more learning and research opportunities for students and faculty. "We have a very dynamic group of students that are not just academically strong, but have broader skills and interests," he says. "That's a really important component of who we are as we help develop future engineering leaders."