President and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering
Nominee: Howard Gardner
Richard K. Miller was appointed President (and first employee) of the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in 1999, where he also holds an appointment as professor of mechanical engineering. He served as Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Iowa from 1992-1999, and spent the previous 17 years on the engineering faculties at USC and UCSB. Dr. Miller’s research interests are in innovative engineering education and applied mechanics, where he has authored about 100 publications and given numerous keynote presentations. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, has won five teaching awards, and received the Legacy award from the College of Engineering at the University of Iowa. He has also served as chair of NSF’s Engineering Advisory Committee and served on advisory committees for the World Bank, National Academy of Engineering, Harvard University, and other institutions. Dr. Miller earned a B.S. degree in aerospace engineering in 1971 from the University of California, Davis, where he received the 2002 Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award. He earned an M.S. in mechanical engineering from MIT in 1972 and a Ph.D. in applied mechanics from the California Institute of Technology in 1976.