Russell Warley Named New Dean of Faculty

Thursday, May 18, 2017
Russell Warley

Rose-Hulman names Russell Warley Dean of Faculty.

Rose-Hulman has announced the selection of a new dean of faculty and professor of chemical engineering from the Penn State University system who has been recognized for excellence in teaching and innovative leadership in engineering education.

Russell Warley, interim director of the School of Engineering at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, will assume his new duties at Rose-Hulman July 1, where he will be responsible for execution of academic goals and working with academic department heads to maintain the smooth and efficient operation of those areas.

“Dr. Warley brings a wealth of experience in both engineering education and industry, and is equally remarkable for his innovation and his student-centered approach,” says Anne Houtman, vice president for academic affairs.  “I am thrilled to welcome him to the Rose-Hulman community.” 

Warley joined the mechanical engineering faculty at Behrend in 2004, became chair of that department in 2009, and managed the department through a period of significant growth. He launched an industrial engineering program in 2013 and chaired the combined mechanical and industrial engineering department until 2015. He was named interim director of the School of Engineering in 2015.

Under his leadership, School of Engineering enrollment has grown to nearly 1,700 students, with 69 full-time faculty offering 13 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Warley also has two decades of industry experience. Prior to joining the Penn State Behrend faculty, he worked for 17 years for LORD Corporation, where he served in the aerospace materials and process engineering group, and for three years at Cabot Corporation, a leading global specialty chemicals and performance materials company.

He received an award for technical excellence at LORD Corporation, team awards for product commercialization at Cabot, the Council of Fellows Excellence in Teaching Award at Behrend and the Penn State University Atherton Award for Teaching Excellence.

A native of Akron, Ohio, and first-generation college graduate, Warley received his bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Akron and his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Case Western Reserve University. He and his wife, Deb, have two adult daughters.