Richard L. Corsi, chair of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin, has been named dean of Portland State University's Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. He will start on Sept. 1.
"Dr. Corsi brings an incredible breadth and depth of experience, not only in his research areas in the sciences but also in leading dynamic academic organizations,” said Rahmat Shoureshi, president of PSU. "I look forward to working with Dr. Corsi and everyone in the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science to further expand the impact of the college in Portland, the region and globally."
Corsi replaces Renjeng Su, who has been dean of the school since 2009 and will return to a PSU faculty role this fall. Corsi has served on the UT Austin faculty for nearly 25 years, after starting his career in the School of Engineering at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. As chair of his department at UT Austin he oversaw the recruitment of eight new faculty members, implemented a robust strategic vision and plan, and developed and implemented two new academic programs.
Corsi’s research focuses on the physics and chemistry of indoor air pollution, particularly as it relates to pollutant interactions with indoor materials. He has explored innovative strategies for reducing human exposure to air pollution both outdoors and indoors. He has served as principal investigator on over 70 scientific research projects, advised dozens of students, written hundreds of papers and journal articles and has been featured in a number of mainstream publications, including National Geographic, The Economist and Business Week.
Corsi is highly regarded as an educator. He has received numerous teaching awards, including being inducted in 2015 to the Academy of Distinguished Teachers, an honor held for the top 5 percent of teachers across UT Austin. He also received a Regents’ Outstanding Teaching Award for the entire UT system in 2016.
“I’m thrilled to be named dean of PSU’s preeminent engineering and computer science school and look forward to building on its successful teaching, learning and research accomplishments,” said Corsi. “PSU engineering and computer science is poised to grow its already impressive contributions to the Portland region and beyond. I look forward to continuing to strengthen our offerings — a holistic experience for our students, attracting and retaining highly-competent and diverse faculty and staff, and delivering cutting-edge research that improves human and natural systems for everyone.”
Corsi received his undergraduate degree in environmental resources engineering from Humboldt State University and was named a distinguished alumnus of that university in 2006. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, Davis.