Quinnipiac University Names First Chair of Engineering; Plans for School of Engineering on the Horizon

News provided by

Jun 06, 2012, 02:00 ET

HAMDEN, Conn., June 6, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A retired lieutenant colonel with more than 25 years of global experience in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has joined Quinnipiac University as chair of the new Department of Engineering.

Scott Hamilton will design the engineering curriculum and build the department's framework. The university will begin offering engineering courses in the fall 2012 semester.

The creation of the engineering department within the School of Business is the first step in Quinnipiac's plan to eventually launch a School of Engineering.

"Along with hiring new faculty, one of my first tasks is to develop a creative, engaging and inspiring introduction to engineering courses for next fall's freshmen," Hamilton said. "We want to become a national leader in undergraduate civil, computer software, industrial and mechanical engineering education."

Matthew O'Connor, dean of the School of Business, said Hamilton brings an abundance of real world and leadership experience from his career as an Army officer.

"Scott's unique background is perfectly suited to leading the development of the engineering program at Quinnipiac," O'Connor said. "We are very excited to have him here."

A licensed civil engineer, Hamilton served in the Army in a series of positions at Fort Bragg, N.C., and in Germany, Korea and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan he led a multinational team of academic and military specialists charged with creating the National Military Academy of Afghanistan.

Hamilton has also been a faculty member at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

"The Quinnipiac steering committee did a great job of developing a rough framework for engineering, which I'll be refining and tweaking as we go forward," Hamilton said. "Being in the School of Business is rather unique for an engineer, but I think it will also provide some great opportunities for collaboration."

Hamilton earned his doctorate in civil engineering and two master's degrees, one in civil engineering and one in engineering management, from Stanford University. He earned his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

For more information, please visit www.quinnipiac.edu. Connect with Quinnipiac on Facebook at www.facebook.com/quinnipiacuniversity and follow Quinnipiac on Twitter @QuinnipiacU.

SOURCE Quinnipiac University