“We have an opportunity to make substantial changes in engineering education and introduce a curriculum which involves students in active learning and is appropriate to a broad population. In particular, we must introduce the creative aspects of engineering to students at an earlier stage in their education.”

David N. Wormley

Dean
Penn State, College of Engineering

David Wormley was named Dean of the College of Engineering on July 1, 1992. Prior to joining Penn State, Dr. Wormley served as Associate Dean of Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Dr. Wormley has long been an activist in engineering education. He was co-principal investigator for ECSEL (Engineering Coalition of Schools for Excellence in Education and Leadership) at MIT, and now serves as chair of the ECSEL Council of Deans for the Coalition. Dr. Wormley has co-authored the book, System Dynamics: An Introduction, which is used by a number of universities in the United States and abroad. He has been an active contributor to both undergraduate and graduate teaching and has twice been the recipient at MIT of graduate teaching awards. He serves on the editorial board of the ASEE Journal of Engineering Education.

Dr. Wormley’s research is focused on dynamic analysis, optimization and design of advanced control systems, transportation systems, and fossil fuel energy systems. His research is described in more than 100 papers and technical reports and in the book Automated Transit Guideways: Analysis and Design. Dr. Wormley serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Vehicle Mechanics and Mobility.

Dr. Wormley has served on the National Science Foundation Engineering Directorate Advisory Committee, most recently as chair, and has recently completed a term as chair of the Executive Committee of the National Research Council’s Transportation Research Board.

Professor Wormley is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Sigma Xi and Pi Tau Sigma. In 1997, he received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Dynamic Systems Control Division Education Award and has also been the recipient of the ASME Lewis Moody Award, a NASA Certificate of Recognition, and is a Fellow in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.