Grejner-Brzezinska named Associate Dean for Research

Dorota A. Grejner-Brzezinska, professor and chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering, has been named associate dean for research in the College of Engineering. Effective September 1, she will lead the research endeavors of over 950 faculty and staff, oversee the college’s research operations—totaling more than $128 million in annual research expenditures—and grow strategic industry partnerships with companies such as Battelle, Honda and GE Aviation. She also will lead the IP and commercialization strategy for the college.

Grejner-Brzezinska has earned an international reputation in the areas of global positioning system and multi-sensor integration for assured navigation. She is a Fellow of The Institute of Navigation and The Royal Institute of Navigation, concluding her two-year term as president of the Institute of Navigation in February 2017. She also has extensive experience with major state and federal funding opportunities, including the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of Defense, NASA and the Ohio Department of Transportation.

“Dorota’s combination of extraordinary scholarly activity and political acumen makes her ideally suited to lead the college’s research operations,” said Dean David B. Williams. “I look forward to working with her to grow our scholarly reputation, broaden the influence of our research in regional, national and international economic development, and increase our research expenditures and the number of, and support available to, our graduate students.”

Grejner-Brzezinska has served as chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering since 2013 and has deep experience in research leadership, having directed the Satellite Position and Inertial Navigation (SPIN) Lab for several years. She has been PI or co-PI on multiple grants generating $20 million of research expenditures and authored or co-authored 320 papers and given 130 invited talks and keynote lectures in more than 20 countries. Within the college, she has won the Lumley Interdisciplinary Research Award along with the Harrison Award for Excellence in Engineering Education. She earned her Ph.D. and master’s degree at Ohio State.

Regarding her upcoming appointment, Grejner-Brzezinska said, “Serving as associate dean for research is a responsibility I do not take lightly. I am eager to work with college leadership, faculty and staff to continue growing our signature research programs, seek strategic hires and leaders in these areas, identify new strengths we can build on and utilize research to attract the best, brightest and most diverse talent to our labs and classrooms.”