Dr. Belle Wei

By Pat Lopes Harris, Media Relations Director

Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering Dean Belle Wei has accepted the position of provost and vice president of academic affairs at California State University, Chico, effective August 1.

In order to appoint an interim who will not be a candidate for the dean’s position, Ping Hsu has agreed to serve as interim dean, pending a national search for Wei’s replacement.

“Belle Wei’s extraordinary and innovative leadership helped make the College of Engineering among the nation’s top 20 engineering schools for bachelor’s and master’s level students, providing more engineers to Silicon Valley than any other institution,” said Ellen Junn, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

“We are incredibly proud of her accomplishments and we will miss her dearly at San Jose State, but we know that she will continue her outstanding track record in her new role at Chico State.”

Wei, who has held the post of Don Beall Dean of Engineering since May 2003, said she “deeply appreciates having had the opportunity to work with SJSU administrators, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends from the industry over a span of 25 years to educate generations of future leaders from diverse backgrounds to become technically excellent, socially responsible, and globally informed.”

Dr. Ping Hsu

Ping Hsu and Belle Wei have been colleagues for more than two decades. Both rose to leadership positions through the Department of Electrical Engineering, where Hsu serves as professor.

Hsu’s professional experience and accomplishments include serving as associate dean of the college from 2001 to 2008 and receiving the 2010 College of Engineering Newnan Brothers Faculty Excellence Award for outstanding teaching, and lead the development of a wind turbine control program used in thousands of commercially manufactured 750 kilowatt and 1.5 megawatt turbines.

He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1988 with a doctoral degree in electrical engineering.