Founding Director, School of Engineering

Founding Director, School of Engineering

Tenure-Track Faculty Appointment

The Opportunity

Ohio Wesleyan University invites applications and nominations for the Founding Director of the Conrades School of Engineering. This is a career-defining opportunity to design, build, and lead an undergraduate engineering program from the ground up at one of the nation's most distinguished liberal arts universities.

Announced in December 2025, the Conrades School of Engineering is supported by $17 million in alumni contributions, including a lead $13 million gift from George Conrades '61 and Patricia "Patsy" Belt Conrades '63. The School launches with a major in mechanical engineering leading to a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME), two engineering minors, and groundbreaking collaborations with industry partners.

The first cohort of students will enroll in fall 2027.

The Founding Director will join a university deeply committed to flexibility, interdisciplinarity, and inclusivity with opportunities for mentoring, professional development, and collaboration across the Ohio Five Liberal Arts Colleges and Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) consortia. New faculty at OWU benefit from strong institutional support, including the opportunity to apply for start-up funding, a pre-tenure sabbatical, extensive opportunities for student-faculty collaboration through the Summer Scholarship and Research Program and our signature experience, The OWU Connection, and faculty development and mentoring from the Smith Center for Faculty Excellence.

About the Conrades School of Engineering

The Conrades School of Engineering represents a strategic investment in OWU's future and a commitment to prepare liberally educated engineers who bring humanistic perspective, ethical reasoning, and creative problem-solving to technical challenges. The School will initially be housed in the Schimmel/Conrades Science Center and encompass:

* A Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) degree program launching in fall 2027, with plans to pursue accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET).

* Two engineering minors, Engineering Science and Science and Engineering in the Public Interest, designed to serve students across the liberal arts curriculum.

* Existing 3-2 engineering partnerships with the California Institute of Technology, Washington University in St. Louis, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Case Western Reserve University.

* Industry collaborations that connect students with regional and national employers through internships, capstone projects, and career pathways.

Central Ohio's thriving advanced manufacturing, technology, and defense sectors, anchored by Honda, Intel's semiconductor fabrication facilities to open in 2030, Battelle, and a rapidly expanding innovation corridor, provide an exceptional environment for building industry partnerships, placing student interns, and recruiting prospective engineering students.

Role and Responsibilities

Few roles in higher education offer the chance to design an engineering program from first principles, with $17 million already committed, at a top liberal arts college sitting inside one of the country's fastest-growing technology corridors. The Founding Director will serve as both the academic and strategic leader of the School of Engineering, reporting to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Primary responsibilities include:

Strategic Leadership and External Engagement

* Serve as the program's primary advocate and public representative.

* Actively recruit prospective students in collaboration with the Office of Admission.

* Engage with alumni, donors, and the Board of Trustees on engineering.

* Manage the program budget, including equipment procurement and resource allocation.

* Support fundraising efforts in collaboration with University Advancement.

Program Launch

* Implement and refine the curriculum for the BSME degree.

* Lead the program through internal governance approvals and external accreditation processes.

* Plan, specify, and oversee the outfitting of spaces for engineering laboratories.

* Establish curricular…