Brian Tande has been selected to lead UND’s College of Engineering and Mines.
Tande, who has served as interim dean of the college since April, will begin his new duties immediately. He was one of three finalists who interviewed for the position after a nationally competitive search that began last fall.
“I’m delighted that Dr. Tande has accepted the deanship and will continue to lead the College of Engineering & Mines,” Provost Tom DiLorenzo said in a statement. “He’s an innovative collaborator and natural entrepreneur who brings a wide array of academic and private-sector experience in the science of engineering, research and commercialization. And much of that experience was honed right here at UND.”
Tande said it’s an “incredible honor” to be selected as dean of the college.
“I welcome the opportunity to lead the college I love and have been a part of for 13 years,” Tande said in a statement.
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Tande, a Stanley, N.D., native who holds chemistry and chemical engineering degrees from the University of Minnesota and the University of Delaware, served as associate dean of the college until he was appointed interim dean last year. Tande is also director of the college’s Grand Challenge Scholars program and served as interim director of the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science in 2018.
Tande served in UND’s Chemical Engineering Department from 2006 to 2017.
In 2017, he briefly left UND for a stint at Kansas State University, where he was the graduate programs director and an associate professor of chemical engineering. He returned to UND in June 2018.
In his new role as dean, Tande said he “wants to ensure the college fully supports UND’s strategic plan by growing quality online programs, improving retention and graduation rates and expanding research,” according to the release.
“We contribute significantly to the workforce needs of North Dakota industry, and I’m excited to expand our relationships with North Dakota companies even further,” he said.
“Dr. Tande is the right person to lead the College of Engineering & Mines,” said Senior Vice Provost Debbie Storrs. “He understands that now more than ever, the college must be nimble and responsive to workforce needs, the changing student demographic and student interests. And, importantly, he can work effectively with his committed faculty to create innovative and high-quality curriculum to meet such demands.”
