Two leadership changes have been announced by the Michigan State University College of Engineering as the new academic year gets underway.
Ranjan Mukherjee
Engineering Dean Leo Kempel said the leadership changes will be instrumental during a period of tremendous transformational growth and the continued focus on inclusion and diversity.
“I am pleased to have such exceptional professionals in these pivotal roles,” he added.
- Ranjan Mukherjee will serve as the interim chair for the Department of Mechanical Engineering, beginning Oct. 1. He is the Martin J. Vanderploeg Endowed Chair and a professor of mechanical engineering. He joined the department in 1996 and served as the associate chair for graduate studies from 2014-2017. He is an ASME Fellow and is currently the editor-in-chief for the ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control. His research broadly focuses on robotics, mechatronics, and control applications. He replaces interim chair Tammy Reid Bush, who was recently named the college’s associate dean of inclusion and diversity.
Kyle Foster
- Kyle Foster has been named assistant dean of inclusion and diversity and will work with Tammy Reid Bush. Foster transitions from his role in the college’s Diversity Programs Office where he served as director, adviser and mentor to Spartan Engineering students. Since joining MSU in 2009, his leadership responsibilities have included helping expand the Engineering and Science Success Academy (ESSA) and daily interaction in retention activities that have received college and university honors.