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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Friday, March 29, 2024

Engineering dean Abriola named University Professor

2015-01-17-Abriola-Portrait
Yesterday, Dean of the School of Engineering Linda M. Abriola, shown here posing for a portrait on Jan. 17, 2013, was awarded the title of University Professor.

Dean of the School of Engineering Linda Abriolahas been appointed to the position of University Professor in recognition of her work as a school leader and researcher, University Provost David Harris told the Tufts community in an announcement released yesterday. 

The title of University Professor is an academic honor reserved for senior faculty with high recognition in their respective fields who demonstrate their dedication to the university community.The title is the highest academic honor Tufts offers and is only held currently by four other professors, most recently Professor of Chemistry David Walt.

The Office of the Provost will host a lecture and reception celebrating Abriola's appointment on April 9 at 4:00 p.m. in the Alumnae Lounge.

Abriola became dean of engineering in 2003 and has overseen the increase in the School of Engineering's size and level of recognition, according to Harris. In his announcement, Harris noted that since 2006, the undergraduate engineering program has seen a 108 percent increase in applications, and that in the past four years the graduate school has awarded 62 percent more master's degrees and 52 percent more Ph.D.s.

"Whether measured by the amount of research funding and publications, strategic hires, or by the number and quality of applications to the school's undergraduate and graduate programs, the School of Engineering has flourished during Linda’s tenure," Harris said in the announcement.

Abriola has received several accolades for her work in education and for her research on the trajectory of groundwater and subsurface pollutants. Most recently, in 2013, she was named Engineering Leader of the Year by her alma mater Drexel University; she is the first woman to receive the award.

"[Abriola's] reputation as a world-renowned engineer is evident from the prestigious external honors she has garnered over the years," Harris said.

Last April, Abriola announced her decision to step down from her position as dean of the School of Engineering at the end of the 2014-2015 school year, at which point she will return to the School of Engineering to teach and conduct research. A search for a new engineering dean is currently underway.

As well as serving as dean, Abriola holds appointments as a professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering and in the department of chemical and biological engineering.