PAUL E. TORGERSEN

Dr. Torgersen occupies the John W. Hancock, Jr. Chair in Engineering at the Virginia Polytechnic and State University (Virginia Tech). He also serves as President of the University's Corporate Research Center. He received a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Lehigh University and after serving in the United States Air Force, received an M.S. and Ph.D. from Ohio State University. Dr. Torgersen taught at Ohio State University, Oklahoma State University and came to Virginia Tech as Head of the Department of Industrial Engineering in 1967. He was appointed Dean of the College of Engineering in the spring of 1970 and served in that capacity for twenty years. He served as President of the University from 1993 until 1999.

He served from 1979-81 as Chairman of the Engineering Deans' Council (the national organization of engineering deans), and from 1979-83 as Chairman of the Engineering Commission of NASULGC, the land-grant university association. In 1986, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.