RAPID CITY, S.D. (PRWEB) April 10, 2015

South Dakota School of Mines & Technology President Heather Wilson announced the universitys next provost and vice president for academic affairs will be Demitris Kouris, Ph.D., former engineering dean at Texas Christian University.

He will succeed Richard Sinden, Ph.D., who has served as interim provost since Duane Hrncir, Ph.D., retired in September.

Kouris joins Mines from Texas Christian University where he has been a member of the faculty of the Departments of Engineering and Physics and served as dean of the College of Science and Engineering.

Dr. Kouris will be a good fit for Mines and will make us an even greater team, said Wilson. He has had a successful career educating engineers at Arizona State, the University of Wyoming and Texas Christian University. He has also been deeply involved in stewarding research, including a stint at the National Science Foundation as a program manager.

I am grateful for the opportunity to join the Mines family and a university where synergy between science, engineering and the humanities provides the young Hardrockers with a complete education, an invaluable asset in todays rapidly evolving world. Dr. Wilson has assembled an exceptional leadership team in a short time, and I am honored to become its latest member, Kouris said.

During his time at TCU, Kouris championed the student-scholar model, a concept that emphasizes preparation for life-long learning, and a broad and deep education including in disciplines other than ones own. At TCU he led the creation of the TCU Idea Factory, which has become a catalyst for a number of unique educational experiences in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Before joining TCU, Kouris served as program director of the Nano and Biomechanics Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF). Working for NSF provided him with a valuable experience relative to the research funding structure of the federal government.

Kouris served as head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wyoming from 2001 to 2009 and as a faculty member with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Arizona State University from 1987 until 2001. While at the University of Wyoming he established an undergraduate international option in mechanical engineering and is a strong advocate for programs that promote international experience for students.

He was born and raised in Athens, Greece. He received his diploma in civil engineering from the National Technical University of Athens in 1982. After a brief period working for his fathers construction company, he left for further studies in the United States where he received a M.S. degree in civil engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in 1984, and a Ph.D. in theoretical and applied mechanics from Northwestern University in 1987. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

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Mines Announces Former TCU Engineering Dean, Demitris Kouris, Will Be Next Provost