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Spring 2004 |
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Cover Story
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James L. Melsa: Leading a Revolution in Engineering Education And Appreciation A search for vision University leaders were pleased but hardly surprised when, shortly after being named Iowa State’s new dean of engineering, James L. Melsa was appointed by the National Institute of Standards and Te  chnology to serve as an examiner for the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. It only confirmed what Iowa State already knew: Jim Melsa had spent a lifetime holding engineering practice and education to the highest standards of excellence possible and would bring this same drive and discernment to lead his alma mater into the 21st century.More than this, however, it was Melsa’s balance of experience in both academic and industrial settings that made him the ideal candidate to become seventh dean of the College of Engineering. “This kind of bipolar, multifaceted exposure to both academics and industry was felt by the [search] committee,” said Provost John J. Kozak at a media event announcing Melsa’s appointment, “and we all agreed it was exactly the kind of leadership we were looking for and found in Dr. Melsa.” A 1960 Iowa State alum with a B.S. in electrical engine  ering, Melsa would earn his M.S. and Ph.D. in the field from the University of Arizona, where in 1965 he joined the faculty as an assistant professor. In 1967 he took an appointment at Southern Methodist University, where in 1970—only five years out of the Ph.D.—he was named a full professor of information and control sciences. In 1973 he moved to Notre Dame to serve the next 11 years as professor and chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering.For many academics, service as a department chair or dean of a college can bring research and publication to a virtual halt. Not Jim Melsa. He had already published five books before even setting foot in South Bend, including the classic 1969 text, Linear Control Systems. By the time he left Notre Dame, in addition to scores of refereed journal articles and other publications, he had doubled that figure to 10 books. Cover story continues... |
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