Contact: Bob Ratliff
Robert P. Taylor Jr. is the new associate dean of engineering for undergraduate studies and administration at Mississippi State University.
He will be responsible for administration of the College of Engineering's student recruiting, accreditation, and curriculum and policy development.
Taylor was a senior engineer for Texaco before joining MSU's mechanical engineering faculty in 1981. The Columbus native holds bachelor's and doctoral degrees from Mississippi State and a master's degree from Purdue University.
One of the university's oldest academic units, the engineering college enrolls about 2,200 undergraduate students.
"Bob brings to the position an outstanding record of teaching, research and service," said Dean A. Wayne Bennett. "He is one of our most outstanding faculty members, a Hearin-Hess Professor and has received national recognition for his work."
Taylor's awards include the Instrument Society of America's Robert B. Abernathy Uncertainty [cq] Award and the Southeast Section, American Society for Engineering Education's Outstanding Contribution in Research Award.
He has authored or co-authored more than 120 journal articles and engineering research papers and is co-author of a textbook on energy system design.