Engineering dean to head Museum of Science

Ioannis N. Miaoulis, associate provost and dean of the School of Engineering, has been named president and director of Boston's Museum of Science, effective January 1.

Miaoulis, 41, will succeed Dr. David Ellis, who announced his retirement in April 2002 after 12 years at the helm of New England's most heavily visited museum.

Ioannis N. Miaoulis © Mark Morelli

Vincent P. Manno, associate dean of engineering and professor of mechanical engineering, will serve as interim dean until a new dean is appointed.

Miaoulis continually stood out among an impressive field of national candidates throughout the process, according to Malcolm Sherman, chair of the museum's search committee. "Dr. Miaoulis will bring exceptional credentials in research, education, administration and program development to the museum," Sherman said.

"Dr. Miaoulis is particularly well suited to help the museum realize its long-range goal to make technology an equal partner with science and develop new programming to better serve an adult audience," said Jack Reno, chairman of the museum's Board of Trustees.

Miaoulis has enjoyed a long and distinguished association with Tufts. He is a triple Jumbo, having earned his B.S. and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering as well as a master's degree in economics from Tufts. He also holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering from MIT. He has served as a professor of mechanical engineering since 1986, dean of the School of Engineering since 1994, interim dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 2000 and associate provost for the past year.

Miaoulis' numerous achievements during his 15 years of teaching, research and administrative leadership at Tufts include:

Creating two new Tufts laboratories (in Thermal Analysis of Material Processing and Comparative Biomechanics) as well as the Engineering Project Development Center, the Center for Engineering Educational Outreach and the Tufts Entrepreneurial Leadership Program;

Doubling undergraduate engineering applications and tripling early decision applicants;

Doubling the number of women engineering students and quadrupling the number of women faculty vs. the national average;

Quadrupling junior faculty receiving national awards;

Doubling student victories in regional and national undergraduate research and design competitions; and

Developing new interdisciplinary educational, research and degree programs with Arts & Sciences, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and the schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.

In addition, the country took note of Miaoulis' leadership in developing a pre-kindergarten through high school science and technology/engineering education program that has been adopted in Massachusetts public schools and is currently under consideration in other states. For five years, Miaoulis has served on the Massachusetts Math and Science Advisory Board, and he currently chairs the Massachusetts Technology/Engineering Advisory Board.

He has published more than 100 research papers and holds two patents. He is the recipient of the Presidential Young Investigator Award, the William P. Desmond Award for outstanding contributions to public education and the Boston Jaycees Outstanding Young Leader Award. Miaoulis also has been honored with numerous awards for his research efforts and community service, including the Allan MacLeod Cormack Award for Excellence in Collaborative Research and a Mellon Fellowship.

"Ioannis has been a terrific faculty member, a creative dean and a wonderful colleague," Tufts President Lawrence S. Bacow said. "Tufts is a better place today because of his leadership. While we will all miss him, we are delighted that he will still be in the area. The Museum of Science will benefit from his exceptional energy and enthusiasm. He is the right man for the job."