Hans van Oostrom, Ph.D., the founding chair of the Department of Engineering Education (EEd) at the University of Florida, has announced he is stepping down from his role as chair of the department. He has served six years in this position at the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and is set to pursue another opportunity with the UF Office of the Provost.
Van Oostrom, an associate professor whose history at UF dates to March 1988, served as a key figure in the J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering before creating the Institute for Excellence in Engineering Education in 2016. Under his direction, the institute grew from four faculty members to 20 in a three-year span. In June 2019, the institute developed into what is now known as EEd.
Under his leadership, non-tenure track faculty roles were clarified through a clear promotion pathway, voting rights, and working titles. EEd experienced impressive growth in its research portfolio and established graduate and undergraduate options for students to pursue within the department. Van Oostrom also led the college’s effort for ABET accreditation, which has resulted in two successful accreditation cycles, while also overseeing the administration of the college’s interdisciplinary programs. These include the computer engineering program, the new AI-related master’s degrees, and UF EDGE, the online engineering graduate program.
“We are incredibly proud of Hans for the dedication and service he has shown to the college,” said Forrest Masters, Ph.D., interim dean of the college. “His contributions have made a lasting impact, and his support has been invaluable to so many. We are grateful for his commitment and wish him continued success in his new role on campus.”
In the Office of the Provost, van Oostrom will be taking an administrative role to serve as faculty chair of the University Curriculum Committee. He will remain in EEd as a nine-month tenured faculty member while also serving as the assessment coordinator in the college.
Brady Budke
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Department of Engineering Education