Campus & Community

Stevens Institute of Technology Names Dr. Jianmin Qu as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Former Dean of the School of Engineering Led Strategic, Academic and Philanthropic Achievements at Tufts University

(Hoboken, N.J. – July 19, 2021) – Stevens Institute of Technology announced today that Dr. Jianmin Qu has been selected as Stevens’ next provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Dr. Qu assumes this role on September 1, 2021, succeeding Dr. Christophe Pierre, who has served as Stevens’ Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs since September 2016.

“I am delighted that a researcher, scholar and academic administrator of the caliber of Dr. Qu will join Stevens in the critically important role of Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs,” said Nariman Farvardin, president of Stevens Institute of Technology. “Dr. Qu’s impressive record of achievement positions him well to play a catalytic role as Stevens begins the development of its next strategic plan.”

Since 2015, Dr. Qu has served as dean of the School of Engineering and Karol Family Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University. Dr. Qu developed the first-ever Strategic Plan and Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan for the Tufts School of Engineering and created the Tufts Entrepreneurship Center, leading efforts to secure a $10 million naming gift for the Center. He also led efforts to secure an $8 million gift to establish the Tufts Institute for Research on Learning and Instruction and increased the School of Engineering’s total sponsored research expenditures as well as the number of large (>$1 million) new sponsored research awards per year.

“As I begin a new chapter of my career with Stevens, I am energized by the university’s growth in national rankings, the strength of its faculty and its tremendous student body,” said Dr. Jianmin Qu. “We share a common interest in applying research to solve societal issues, and I am honored to be a part of Stevens’ continued upward trajectory.”

Prior to his position at Tufts, Dr. Qu served as chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Walter P. Murphy Professor at Northwestern University from 2009-2015, as well as associate chair for Administration of the School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology from 2007 to 2009.

Dr. Qu graduated from China’s Jilin University in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and went on to receive a Master of Science degree and Ph.D. from Northwestern University in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics in 1984 and 1987, respectively. His research focuses on several areas of theoretical and applied mechanics, topics in which he has authored/co-authored two books, 15 book chapters and over 220+ refereed journal papers. He has served as principal investigator on more than $16 million in externally funded research.

In recognition of the significant contributions Dr. Qu has made in these fields, he received the Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Society for Optics and Photonics, served as an associate editor and on the Editorial boards for several academic journals and is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Stevens Institute of Technology is a premier, private research university situated in Hoboken, New Jersey. Since our founding in 1870, technological innovation has been the hallmark of Stevens’ education and research. Within the university’s three schools and one college, 7,300 undergraduate and graduate students collaborate closely with faculty in an interdisciplinary, student-centric, entrepreneurial environment. Academic and research programs spanning business, computing, engineering, the arts and other disciplines actively advance the frontiers of science and leverage technology to confront our most pressing global challenges. As Stevens celebrates its 150th anniversary, the university continues to be consistently ranked among the nation’s leaders in career services, post-graduation salaries of alumni, and return on tuition investment.

Stevens’ media contact: Thania Benios, [email protected], 917-930-5988