William Sanders, dean of
Carnegie Mellon's College of
Engineering, has been named RIT's next president.
ROCHESTER, N.Y., Jan. 28,
2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- William H. Sanders has been named Rochester Institute of Technology's 11th president.
The current dean of Carnegie Mellon
University's College of Engineering was introduced to the
RIT community on Jan. 28.
The RIT Board of Trustees selected Sanders from a national pool
of candidates. He will assume RIT's top post July 1, succeeding David
Munson who will retire after serving eight years as RIT's
president.
Sanders will lead one of the nation's leading research
universities that enrolls more than 21,300 students in more than
200 career-oriented and professional programs. With 150,000 alumni
worldwide, RIT is internationally recognized and ranked for its
leadership in technology, the arts, and design.
"It is clear to me that Rochester Institute
of Technology is a very special place," said Sanders. "RIT
has taken a unique approach on its path to excellence, working at
the intersection of technology, the arts, and design. RIT's
acceleration in excellence has been due to charting its own
way—being strategic in picking the intellectual areas that it
focuses on and creating an identity that does not seek to replicate
what others are doing."
Sanders added: "The entire RIT family should be proud of what
they have created—a university that is relentlessly forward
looking. This is RIT's time."
A 25-member search committee composed of students, faculty,
staff, alumni, administration, and trustees narrowed the pool of
candidates before the final selection by the Board of Trustees.
"Dr. Sanders has been instrumental in advancing Carnegie Mellon's reputation as a leader in
transformative education and interdisciplinary and impactful
research with an eye on doing good around the world," said
Susan Puglia, chair of the RIT Board
of Trustees who also oversaw the Search Committee. "Bill is the
right leader at the right time to take the baton from President
Munson and continue the acceleration of our university's amazing
trajectory. He demonstrates a deep understanding of and
appreciation for RIT and its history. Bill also articulates a
compelling vision for RIT that will continue to drive RIT forward
as a distinguished university both nationally and globally. This is
an exciting time for RIT."
Sanders is the current Dr. William D. and Nancy W. Strecker Dean of the College of
Engineering at Carnegie Mellon
University in Pittsburgh.
He joined Carnegie Mellon in 2020 and
led the creation of a new strategic plan to further position its
renowned College of Engineering as a research powerhouse to address
societal challenges with global reach. Prior to his time at
Carnegie Mellon, he spent 25 years as a
tenured professor and held the Herman M. Dieckamp Endowed Chair in
Engineering at the University of
Illinois, where he also held several leadership
positions.
Sanders' research interests include secure, dependable, and
resilient computing systems with a focus on critical
infrastructures. He has directed work at the forefront of national
efforts to make the U.S. power grid smart and resilient. His
significant scholarly record includes publishing more than 300
technical papers in this field.
A recognized leader in his field, Sanders was elected to the
National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 2023, one of the highest
professional distinctions accorded to an engineer, for his
contributions to cybersecurity and resiliency technologies for
critical infrastructures.
Sanders is also an elected fellow of the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers, the Association for Computing Machinery
(ACM), and the American Association for the Advancement of Science
(AAAS). Among many honors, he was the 2016 recipient of the IEEE
Technical Field Award, Innovation in Societal Infrastructure, for
"assessment-driven design of trustworthy cyber infrastructures for
societal-scale systems."
This record of accomplishments drew praise from the Board of
Trustees, Puglia, and Munson, who will retire June 30 after serving more than 40 years in
higher education.
"On behalf of RIT and the Greater Rochester-Finger Lakes region,
I welcome Bill Sanders and his wife,
Emily, to our community," said Munson. "Bill and I were faculty
colleagues at the University of
Illinois. I have watched Bill's career soar to impressive
heights—from a pioneering researcher and successful entrepreneur to
a collaborative and strategic leader. I am thrilled to have Bill as
my successor because his appointment ensures that the future of RIT
is secure, and the university's upward trajectory will
continue."
To learn more: Read more about William
Sanders' credentials and the search process.
Media Contact
Carl Langsenkamp, www.rit.edu,
5852618632, carl.langsenkamp@rit.edu
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SOURCE Rochester Institute of
Technology (RIT)
