Ralph Kummler appointed dean of College of Engineering
Long-time chemical engineering professor and environmental expert Ralph H. Kummler has been appointed dean of Wayne State University's College of Engineering.
Wayne State Provost Nancy Barrett, who made the announcement, said Kummler is well-suited for the post. "The College of Engineering is poised to contribute in a major way to exciting new developments in a number of high tech areas that will bring new jobs to our state and improve the quality of life for millions of our citizens," Barrett said. "Dr. Kummler has the experience and creativity to maintain and increase the College's national and international visibility, and I am delighted that he has accepted this important leadership challenge."
Wayne State University President Irvin D. Reid also lauded the appointment of Kummler, who becomes the College's seventh dean. "Dean Kummler has an impressive background in teaching, scholarship, and administration in the engineering community," Reid said. "His dedication to Wayne State University and his conscientious leadership will continue to be an important asset for faculty, students, alumni and friends in the college."
As interim dean, Kummler presided the past few years over a steady rise in research activities, an increase in undergraduate and graduate enrollment, a significant increase in corporate and individual gifts, and new partnerships with Michigan's NextEnergy and WSU TechTown.
"I am both honored and excited about the university's trust in me to lead the college in meeting the challenges ahead and ensuring that our students are prepared to enter tomorrow's workforce," Kummler said.
He will continue to work with his staff to recruit top faculty and undergraduate and graduate students, and to shape a curriculum developed for today's and tomorrow's emerging technology, he said. At Wayne State, students have the opportunity to pursue unique specialties such as alternative energy technology, entrepreneurial engineering, and production management leadership, he added, not to mention opportunities to participate in pioneering research activities and co-op programs as interns in local industry.
Joe Boelter, past president of the Engineering Alumni Association, praised the appointment. "My experience in working with Ralph Kummler has been very positive. He is an innovator, positive thinker, dedicated to WSU and a big supporter of the Engineering Alumni efforts," he said. "Ralph has been a personal source of inspiration for me. I look forward to continuing our 15-year relationship in his new (old) role as Dean and helping him move the College of Engineering forward into the future."
Kummler has been at Wayne State for 34 years and served in a number of capacities, including chemical engineering professor, chair of the former chemical and metallurgical engineering department, associate dean for research and interim dean.
Kummler's research interests revolve around state environmental issues, including combined storm overflow studies on the Rouge and Detroit Rivers, industrial waste control, landfill gas emission studies, air pollution dispersion, and auto exhaust testing. He is responsible for establishing the Hazardous Waste Program at Wayne State and promoting the professional field of certified Hazardous Material Managers nationwide.
Kummler earned a bachelor's in chemical engineering from Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y. (1962) and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md. (1970).
Among his many honors and awards, Kummler is a recipient of the Engineering Society of Detroit's (ESD) Distinguished Service Award (2004), and its Horace Rackham Humanitarian Award (the organization's most prestigious award), and the Air and Waste Management National Award Waste Management.
Among his many appointments and associations, Kummler has served as international advisor to Czechoslovakia, Egypt and Mexico. He serves on the Michigan Environmental Science Board (1996 to present), the International Joint Commission's Detroit-Windsor/Port Huron-Sarnia Air Pollution Advisory Committee, and as chair of Louisiana State University Hazardous Substance Research and Tech Transfer Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Engineering Society of Detroit, and served on its board of directors of six years.