Dean Gregory N. Washington, Ph.D., joined The Henry Samueli School of Engineering in August 2011. Prior to his arrival at UC Irvine, he served as the interim dean for the College of Engineering at The Ohio State University, where he provided visionary leadership, oversight and management for one of the nation’s largest and highest ranked engineering programs.

He joined the faculty at OSU in 1995, became the associate dean for research in 2005 and then was appointed interim dean in 2008. As a professor of mechanical engineering, his research is in the design and control of smart material systems, the design and control of hybrid electric vehicles and the design of smart electromagnetic systems.

Washington has been involved in multidomain research for the last 20 years. His core area of interest lies in the area of dynamic systems, with an emphasis on modeling and control of smart material systems and devices. He has been involved in the design and control of mechanically actuated antennas, advanced automotive systems incorporating smart materials, hybrid electric vehicles, and structural position and vibration control with smart materials.

He has conducted research for a host of organizations including the National Science Foundation (NSF), NASA, General Motors Company, the Air Force Research Laboratory and the U.S. Army Research Office; and has served as a member of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, NSF Engineering Advisory Committee, Institute for Defense Analyses and numerous other boards.

Washington accumulated a long list of research and teaching awards from OSU, including the Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Harrison Faculty Award for Excellence in Engineering Education and the Lumley Research Award. He also is the recipient of the NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. Washington holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from North Carolina State University.