ODU Batten College dean appointed

Ben Stuart will be the eighth dean of Old Dominion University’s Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology, effective Oct. 25, the university announced Friday.

Stuart has served as interim dean since June 2019, during which time the university conducted a national search.

“Ben Stuart is a thoughtful leader and distinguished scholar who cares deeply about engineering students,” President John R. Broderick said in a statement. “Under his leadership, I am confident that the College of Engineering and Technology will continue to experience tremendous growth in stature regionally as well as globally.”

Stuart has led or co-led more than $26 million in research projects, primarily in algal biofuels, which has led to three patents, according to ODU. He has served as chief technology officer of ECO2Capture, a startup company that develops and integrates algae cultivation and air pollution control technologies. He also is a past president of the Institute of Biological Engineering and the Virginia section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and is currently on the Engineering Technology Commission of ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology), the accreditation organization for engineering and engineering technology programs worldwide.

Stuart is a registered professional environmental engineer in Ohio, and he received his doctorate from Rutgers University’s Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering.

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