James R. Martin II was named as the next dean of the Swanson School of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Martin will begin his new job on August 15.
Currently, Dr. Martin is the Bob Benmosche Professor and chair of the department of civil engineering at Clemson University in South Carolina. He was founding director of the Risk Engineering and Systems Analytics Center at Clemson. Before joining the faculty at Clemson in 2013, Professor Martin taught at Virginia Tech for more than two decades. There, he served for five years at director of the Disaster Risk Management Institute. Dr. Martin is an expert on earthquake-related engineering.
In accepting his new position, Professor Martin said that “Pitt has a strong sense of community and a pervasive ‘can do’ mindset that is unique and inspiring. As an elite comprehensive university located in a city that’s always been known for innovation and forward thinking, all of the critical ingredients are in place. Our best days are ahead.”
Professor Martin is a graduate of The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from Virginia Tech.