New dean of CECS plans to increase student opportunities

Recently appointed Dean of Engineering and Computer Science Nathan Klingbeil, Ph.D., said he plans on adding more opportunities for students in order to create a higher graduation rate and will strive to make Wright State the first choice for high school and transfer students interested in engineering or computer science.

“I wish to be viewed as a nation meter for student success and degree completion,” Klingbeil said.

Klingbeil said he plans to add more opportunities for students to help them pursue their degrees, and to increase staff involvement in student success. He also plans to expand international collaboration and study abroad programs, as well as co-operative and experimental learning opportunities.

The dean said that computer science and engineering are critical for the United States and the global economy.

“Engineering and computer sciences are critical disciplines for the global competitiveness of the nation,” Klingbeil said. “The future of global economy depends on intellectual capital in the sciences in engineering and technology, and the United States are not keeping up to pace with other nations around the world.”

Klingbeil received his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from University of Dayton in 1993 and did co-op work for DAP, which produces products such as caulks, sealants and adhesives. He then went to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA where he received his Ph. D. in Mechanical Engineering in 1998, and returned to the Dayton area to teach at WSU in 1999.

When asked how he first became interested in engineering, Klingbeil went as far back as his high school physics class in Akron where his teacher advised him to go into mechanical engineering.

“I signed up for UD (University of Dayton) and off I went to mechanical engineering,” Klingbeil said.