Following a comprehensive search, the University of Portland has named Dr. Brian Fabien as the new dean of the Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering, effective July 1. Fabien joins UP from the University of Washington in Seattle, where he was most recently associate dean of academic affairs for the College of Engineering and professor of mechanical engineering.
“I am thrilled that Brian will be joining the University of Portland,” said Fr. Poorman. “His sharp intellect, extraordinary leadership acumen, and steadfast commitment to UP’s Catholic and Holy Cross missions will not only benefit the Donald P. Shiley School of Engineering, but indeed our entire University community.”
Fabien is now the permanent successor to former engineering dean Sharon Jones, who left UP in June 2019 for the University of Washington’s Bothell campus. Matthew Kuhn has served as interim dean at the Shiley School for the past nine months.
“I am delighted and honored to be a member of the University of Portland community,” said Dr. Fabien. “It’s clear to me that everyone at UP is committed to educating the whole student, not just the mind and the hands, but also the heart.”
Fabien holds a Ph.D., master of philosophy, and master of science degree in mechanical engineering from Columbia University in New York; and a bachelor of engineering with honors degree from the City College of New York. Prior to his arrival in the University of Washington system in 1993, Fabien held prior professorships at the University of the West Indies and Ohio University. A corporate career in engineering preceded academia, highlighted by his role as the lead mechanical engineer overseeing the guidance sensors for the famed Hubble Space Telescope. Other industry posts include Xerox Corporation, PerkinElmer, and Textron, Inc. (Lycoming Engines Division).
For more information contact the provost’s office at x7105 or staten@up.edu.