Eric Sandgren of Virginia Commonwealth University has been selected as dean of the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, UNLV President Carol C. Harter announced today.

Sandgren, who was the founding chair of VCU's mechanical engineering program, will assume his responsibilities at UNLV on July 1. He was chosen after a national search and replaces Interim Dean Darrell Pepper.

"Dr. Sandgren has excellent credentials in engineering education, and we are very pleased to have him join our administrative team at UNLV," Harter said. "I am looking forward to seeing how our already excellent engineering programs grow under his leadership."

UNLV Provost Raymond Alden said, "Dr. Sandgren has proven himself to be a leader in the field of engineering education as evidenced by the well-respected mechanical engineering department that he founded at Virginia Commonwealth. We are excited that he will bring his expertise and guidance to the students and faculty of the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering."

Sandgren has been a mechanical engineering professor at VCU since 1997. From 1990 to 1997, he was director of advanced engineering at TRW Steering and Suspension Systems in Sterling Heights, Mich. He previously taught at Purdue University and the University of Missouri, Columbia. He also has been a consultant for numerous companies, including General Motors, General Electric, IBM, and Xerox.

He earned his bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering at Purdue University. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

The Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in computer science, construction management, and civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering. The college enrolls nearly 1,500 students.