First dean candidate for School of Engineering to present Oct. 23

LAWRENCE — Mary Rezac will be the first candidate for the University of Kansas School of Engineering dean position to give a public presentation on her vision for the school.

Her presentation will take place 1:30-2:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in the Beren Petroleum Conference Center, Slawson Hall G192. The event will also be livestreamed, and the passcode is 852037.

Rezac has served as the dean of Washington State University’s College of Engineering and Architecture since 2017.

The remaining three candidates will be announced approximately two days before their respective campus visits. Their public presentations are scheduled for the following times and locations:

• Candidate 2: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Oct. 25, Woodruff Auditorium at the Kansas Union
• Candidate 3: 1:30-2:30 p.m. Oct. 31, Beren Petroleum Conference Center, Slawson Hall G192
• Candidate 4: 9:30-10:30 am. Nov. 2, Burge Union Forum A

Members of the KU community are encouraged to attend each presentation and provide feedback to the search committee.

A candidate feedback survey will be open for two business days following the conclusion of each finalist’s visit. The survey and a recording of Rezac’s presentation will be available after the presentation on the search page until the survey closes.

Additional search information, including Rezac’s CV, is also available on the search page.

As dean of Washington State University’s College of Engineering and Architecture, Rezac oversees seven academic schools and multiple research centers, as well as the college’s more than $80 million budget. In this role, Rezac has managed the expansion of faculty research productivity, establishment of new undergraduate programs and implementation of programming focusing on retention and diversity of undergraduate students. Rezac has also led corporate and government relations on behalf of the college as well as developed strategies to fund a 10-year, $350 million capital building project.

Rezac previously worked at Kansas State University for 15 years in multiple positions, including interim associate vice president of research, co-director of the Center for Sustainable Energy and head of the Department of Chemical Engineering. She previously was a faculty member of Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Chemical Engineering.

Rezac has served on a number of policymaking groups, including the Council for Chemical Research, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the National Research Council. Rezac holds multiple patents and has co-written more than 250 publications and presentations.

Rezac earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Kansas State University and master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from University of Texas at Austin.