Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Announces New President

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Board of Trustees has named global engineering executive and former engineering educator James C. Conwell, Ph.D., PE, as the institute’s new president, according to an announcement today by Board of Trustees Chairman William Fenoglio. Conwell will begin his role as the institute’s 15th president on May 1, 2013.

Conwell most recently served as Vice President of Jacobs Engineering Group (NYSE: JAC), one of the world’s largest and most diverse providers of engineering and technical services to primary markets including automotive, defense, mining, oil/gas, aerospace and pharmaceuticals.

In addition to his successful and entrepreneurial leadership at Jacobs, a Fortune 500 company, Conwell’s background also includes teaching undergraduate engineering at Vanderbilt University, Louisiana State University and Grove City College.

“Dr. Conwell’s background, spanning engineering business leadership and engineering education, uniquely prepares him to lead Rose-Hulman toward our vision of inspiring and preparing our graduates for lives of purpose and success, defining and solving the problems of a complex global society,” said Fenoglio.

“During the Board’s review of presidential finalists, the Rose-Hulman strategic plan was central to the trustees because it is key to Rose-Hulman’s future—to our greater outreach to the global community that we serve, to enhance global awareness of Rose-Hulman and to the growth of material resources that support our mission and vision,” continued Fenoglio. “In recent years, Rose-Hulman has built an increasingly strong campus team of academic and staff leaders and resources, setting the stage for the greateroutreach that Dr. Conwell will lead.”

In looking forward to his new role, Conwell stated: “I share a common aspiration with Rose-Hulman: a knowledge and passion that meeting the next wave of global challenges will require strong technical, creative thinkers who can work with diverse groups to bring results and solutions.” He added, “I believe Rose-Hulman is uniquely positioned to help shape the next generation of scientific and engineering problem solvers with the institute’s environment of individualized student attention and support.”

Conwell said he is excited to work with a proven team of outstanding educators and leaders, and carrying their message of excellence to the employers, friends, and supporters who depend upon future generations of innovators. “I am thrilled to both learn and work together to resource and implement the Rose-Hulman strategic plan,” Conwell continued. Rose-Hulman’s newly created strategic plan has themes around preparing the nation’s top students for a global marketplace, dealing with complexity and innovative problem solving.

After receiving both his bachelor and master of science degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee, Conwell became a senior engineer for Procter & Gamble manufacturing in 1983. He continued his education, earning a doctorate in mechanical engineering at Vanderbilt University, where he was recognized with awards for his teaching in the College of Engineering. 

He moved in 1990 to Louisiana State University, where he was associate professor of mechanical engineering, continued to receive teaching recognition, and developed a funded center for assistive technology for disabled individuals, advised senior design projects, and earned patent recognition for his designs in the process. 

          In 1993, Conwell became the chairman of the department of mechanical engineering at Grove City College, a small private school of about 2,000 predominantly undergraduate students in Pennsylvania. He led the accreditation efforts ofboth the mechanical and electrical engineering departments there, and continued one of his special interests by developing a senior design program focused on assistive aids for the disabled.

          In addition to academic activities, Conwell had the opportunity to work with Sverdrup Engineering, a company known over the world for its wind tunnel design expertise. He became a Sverdrup engineering manager, transitioning from academia to an executive career path.

Conwell started up and helped lead a specialized business unit in Sverdrup to design and build test facilities, including wind, thermal and other environments for the automotive industry.Sverdrup merged into Jacobs Engineering. In 1999, Conwell became vice president of the Jacobs Engineering Group in Southfield, Mich., responsible for all activities of this full-services engineering unit. Starting the unit as one of three original members, Conwell and his team grew the business to a workforce of more than 400 with revenues exceeding $100 million annually. Conwell’s responsibilities included all engineering operations, business development,marketing and public relations, contract negotiation, quality, budget development and management, and staff recruitment, development and retention.

Conwell