September 13, 2010

WSE names Dexter G. Smith associate dean for EP programs

Dexter G. Smith has been appointed the Whiting School of Engineering’s associate dean for Engineering for Professionals, which offers part-time education for working engineers and scientists. The appointment is effective Oct. 1.

Smith, who has been affiliated with Johns Hopkins since 1995, currently serves as a member of the principal professional staff of the university’s Applied Physics Laboratory and as the EP program’s chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

In announcing the appointment, Nick Jones, the Benjamin T. Rome Dean of the Whiting School, said that Dexter brings to EP a combination of skills and experiences that makes him uniquely qualified for his new leadership role.

EP offers master’s degrees in 15 disciplines. Currently more than 3,000 students are enrolled in EP courses at eight education centers in the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. region, through partnerships with industry and locations nationwide, and online.

In directing this program, Smith will succeed Allan Bjerkaas, who in 2001 became the associate dean for what was then called Part-time Programs in Engineering and Applied Science. Bjerkaas recently announced his retirement.

“Thanks to Allan, EP is thriving and is now positioned to achieve tremendous growth in areas that include corporate partnerships and partnerships with APL, distance learning, opportunities presented by the BRAC initiative and new academic programs,” Jones said. “This is a terrifically exciting time for EP, and I know that Dexter will provide the leadership necessary to bring these possibilities to fruition and to build upon them.”

At APL, Smith is a member of the executive management team and is the biomedicine business area executive. He played a key role in organizing, staffing and writing the largest Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency contract ever awarded to the Laboratory, for a project called Revolutionizing Prosthetics 2009. Previously, he served as the branch supervisor for APL’s Homeland Protection, specializing in unique facilities characterization and chemo/bio sensor development.

Before joining APL, Smith worked at Gould Electronics, Allied Signal and Noise Cancellation Technologies. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biomedical engineering, and a second master’s degree and a doctorate in electrical engineering, all from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He also holds numerous U.S. patents and is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, a full member of the scientific research society Sigma XI and a licensed professional engineer in Maryland. In addition, he is a certified flight instructor and an instrument-rated commercial pilot.