Ian A. Waitz, professor of aeronautics and astronautics and head of that department, was named the 16th dean of MIT’s School of Engineering in February. His predecessor, engineering professor Subra Suresh, became director of the National Science Foundation in October.

A former MacVicar Faculty Fellow, Waitz also directs the Partnership for Air Transportation Noise and Emissions Reduction, which draws participants from a dozen universities and 50 industry and government organizations and is sponsored by the FAA, NASA, DOD, EPA, and Transport Canada. He focuses on modeling and evaluating aviation’s impact on the environment—including climate, local air quality, and noise—and assesses technological, operational, and policy options for mitigating these impacts. His work developing policy-analysis tools that more explicitly incorporate estimates of environmental and economic impacts into decision making earned him the 2007 FAA Excellence in Aviation Research Award.  

“It is truly an honor to serve as dean,” Waitz says. “Many of the world’s greatest challenges will only be addressed by bringing together talented people in a challenging and rewarding environment to collaborate, advance our understanding, create solutions, and educate the next generation of engineering leaders.”