Leo Kempel, who has been acting dean of the Michigan State University College of Engineering since 2013, has been recommended as full-time dean of the college he has served for more than 16 years.
Kempel’s appointment is subject to approval by the MSU Board of Trustees. If approved, it would be effective July 1.
“Dr. Kempel will assume the role of dean at a time of enormous possibility for the College of Engineering,” said MSU Provost June Youatt. “Several of the university's most significant opportunities for leadership in research and innovation will be closely tied to the work of the college. I am confident Leo can quickly work with college and campus leaders to craft a plan that strategically sets the college’s direction for growth.”
Kempel has been a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering since 1998. He also was associate dean for research from 2008 until his appointment as acting dean. During this period, the college demonstrated unprecedented growth in the research enterprise.
He previously served as the inaugural director of the MSU High Performance Computing Center (2004–06) and associate dean for special initiatives (2006–08).
Kempel is a member of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, a post he has held since 2011. The Air Force Scientific Advisory Board is a federal advisory committee that provides independent advice on matters of science and technology related to the Air Force mission, reporting directly to the secretary of the Air Force and the chief of staff of the Air Force.
He has been instrumental in the development of a number of college and university projects, including the University Research Organization, the Revolutionary Materials for Solid State Energy Conversion, and the BEACON NSF Science and Technology Center.
His research is in the general area of applied electromagnetics, with particular emphasis on conformal antennas, engineered materials and measurement of electromagnetic properties of materials.
He received the National Science Foundation CAREER award and is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society. He is currently appointed to the IEEE Fellow Board. The IEEE is world’s largest professional association for the advancement of technology.
Kempel received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1989, a Master of Science degree from the University of Michigan in 1990 and a doctorate from the University of Michigan in 1994.
Kempel succeeds Satish Udpa, who now serves as MSU executive vice president for administrative services.