Mark Lundstrom named dean of the College of Engineering
A familiar leader and visionary pioneer has been appointed as the new John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering. Mark Lundstrom, who has been on the faculty for 46 years, assumed the role effective June 1. He succeeds Arvind Raman, who on May 18 was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology and also will serve as director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Lundstrom, the Don and Carol Scifres Distinguished Professor in the Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will retain his position as the university’s chief semiconductor officer reporting to interim President Mitch Daniels. Lundstrom is no stranger to the dean’s office. During 2020, he served as acting dean, and from 2022–2023, as interim dean.
“Purdue Engineering has long been defined by innovation, impact and a commitment to tackling the world’s greatest challenges. It is an incredible privilege to lead this college at a time when engineering is playing such a vital role in shaping our nation’s future,” Lundstrom said.
Lundstrom began his career as an integrated circuit process development and manufacturing engineer, and since 1980, has been at Purdue, where his research and teaching have focused on the physics, modeling and simulation of semiconductor devices. He is best known for his work on the scaling limits of MOSFETs, which supported the design and manufacturing of transistors at the 10-nanometer length scale.
Beginning in 1995, before the term “cloud computing” entered the vocabulary, Lundstrom founded nanoHUB, which for 30 years has offered online access to sophisticated electronic materials, devices and circuit simulation tools. The nanoHUB also was one of the very first to offer open-content educational resources and now serves a global community of millions.
“What excites me most is the momentum of this college and the extraordinary people behind it — our faculty, staff, students, alumni and partners. Together, we will continue advancing Purdue Engineering’s leadership in education, research and technological innovation while preparing the next generation of engineers to make a meaningful difference in the world,” Lundstrom said.
In 2009, he was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering “for leadership in microelectronics and nanoelectronics through research, innovative education and unique applications of cyberinfrastructure.”
Further recognition for his career contributions to microelectronics research and education are the Semiconductor Industry Association’s University Researcher Award, the Semiconductor Research Corporation’s Aristotle Award, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) Cledo Brunetti Award and Leon K. Kirchmayer Graduate Teaching Award. He is a life fellow of the IEEE and a fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.