Keith J Bowman has begun his tenure as the new dean of UMBC’s College of Engineering and Information Technology (COEIT). He joined UMBC on August 1, 2017, from San Francisco State University in California, where he served as dean of the College of Science and Engineering since 2015.
“Having lived in the San Francisco Bay area for a couple of years, I am looking forward to connecting with UMBC, Baltimore, and people on a completely different bay,” Bowman shared.
Bowman holds a Ph.D. in materials science from the University of Michigan, and B.S. and M.S. degrees in materials science from Case Western Reserve University. Prior to his role at SFSU, he held various positions at the Illinois Institute of Technology and Purdue University. At the Illinois Institute of Technology, he was the Duchossois Leadership Professor and chair of mechanical, materials, and aerospace engineering. In Purdue University’s School of Materials Engineering, he served as a professor and head of the school. He also held visiting professorships at the Technical University of Darmstadt in Germany and at the University of New South Wales in Australia.
Over the span of his career, Bowman has received nearly $20 million in research funding and awards. He is a fellow of the American Ceramic Society, a professional association dedicated to advancing the study, understanding, and use of ceramic and glass materials for the benefit of society.
As an education leader, Bowman is particularly interested in advancing diversity and inclusion across engineering disciplines. While at Purdue University, he was recognized for his commitment to teaching and mentoring, receiving the Charles B. Murphy Undergraduate Teaching Award and College of Engineering’s Mentoring Award.
“COEIT has embraced two compelling strategic directions—to advance research that benefits society and to elevate student success through innovative education experiences—and I’m very committed to both,” Bowman says. He explains, “My first year goal is to know and understand how we can best create synergy among all of our stakeholders and supporters to further propel us forward toward these goals.”
As dean, Bowman will work to advance COEIT’s mission by building on its strengths in research and teaching. He will support and continue to build a diverse faculty within the College, and will oversee their recruitment and development, promotion and tenure, and the appointment of department chairs and center directors. He will also identify innovative strategies to strengthen research activity and infrastructure, technology transfer, venture creation and other economic development initiatives.
Bowman’s appointment concludes a successful national search that began during the spring semester, led by Mark Marten, professor and chair of chemical, biochemical and environmental engineering. In welcoming Bowman as the new dean, Marten also recognizes previous dean Julie Ross, now engineering dean at Virginia Tech, for her significant contributions to the UMBC community over many years.
“Julie Ross and I both started in the CBEE department within about a year of each other, and developed a great friendship while establishing our respective careers. While I’m sad she is leaving UMBC, I’m excited for the impact I know she will have at Virginia Tech,” said Marten. “As the chair of the search committee, I am delighted we were able to bring in Keith Bowman as our new dean. He brings a wealth of experience and wisdom that I know will have a strong, positive impact both on the college and at UMBC.”
Banner image: Dean Keith J. Bowman. Photo by Marlayna Demond ’11 for UMBC.