Dionissios N. Assanis is a Greek academic administrator, scientist, engineer and author. He was the 28th president of the

University of Delaware The University of Delaware (colloquially known as UD, UDel, or Delaware) is a Statutory college#Delaware, privately governed, state-assisted Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Newark, Delaware, United States. UD offers f ...

, a position he held from June 6, 2016 to June 30, 2025.

Biography

Assanis was born and raised in Athens, Greece. Assanis earned his bachelor's degree in Marine Engineering from

Newcastle University Newcastle University (legally the University of Newcastle upon Tyne) is a public research university based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It has overseas campuses in Singapore and Malaysia. The university is a red brick university and a mem ...

in England (1980). At the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

, he earned three master's degrees: Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (1982), Mechanical Engineering (1982), and Management (1986). Also at MIT, he earned a Ph.D. in 1985.

Career

Assanis served as Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs of

Stony Brook University Stony Brook University (SBU), officially the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is a public university, public research university in Stony Brook, New York, United States, on Long Island. Along with the University at Buffalo, it is on ...

, a position he held from 2011 to 2016. He also served as vice president for

Brookhaven National Laboratory Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a United States Department of Energy national laboratories, United States Department of Energy national laboratory located in Upton, New York, a hamlet of the Brookhaven, New York, Town of Brookhaven. It w ...

Affairs. Assanis was the Jon R. and Beverly S. Holt Professor of Engineering and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor at the

University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...

, the Director of the University of Michigan Michigan Memorial Phoenix Energy Institute, the Founding Director of the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center for Clean Vehicles, and the Director of the University of Michigan Automotive Laboratory. From 1996 to 2002, he was the Founding Director of the Automotive Engineering Program at the University of Michigan, and the Department Chair of Mechanical Engineering from 2002 to 2007. He then served as Director of the Automative Research Center from 2002 to 2009, and the Founding Director of the

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

-University of Michigan Collaborative Research Laboratory for Advanced Engine Systems from 2002 to 2011. In 2008, Assanis was elected to the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academ ...

, which cited his "scientific contributions to improving fuel economy and reducing emissions of internal combustion engines, and for promoting automotive engineering education." In May 2022, President

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

appointed Assanis to the

President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) is a council, chartered (or re-chartered) in each administration with a broad mandate to advise the president of the United States on science and technology. The current PCAST w ...

References

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/ud-president-questioned-about-lack-of-delaware-students/2020/02/08/75ecf954-4a9b-11ea-8a1f-de1597be6cbc_story.html
{{DEFAULTSORT:Assanis, Dennis Living people Stony Brook University faculty Presidents of the University of Delaware 21st-century American engineers American science writers American people of Greek descent University of Michigan faculty Alumni of Newcastle University 1967 births