Pierre Chosen as MEAM's Associate Chair Although MEAM is one of the top five mechanical engineering departments in the country, its high quality faculty members and research activities are some of the best kept secrets around. That's why external relations and marketing will be among the top priorities of Professor Christophe Pierre, who recently became MEAM's new associate chair. His position was created when MEAM Chair A. Galip Ulsoy consolidated the Department's three associate chair positions into this new, upgraded role. U-M MEAM CPO / Rodney Hill As associate chair, Pierre will be responsible for directing several aspects of the Department, including teaching assignments, staff relations, and space and facilities. Some of his major focus areas will include: External relations and marketing of MEAM to promote the Department's excellent faculty, research, and education. The goal is to let key stakeholders, other institutions, industry, media, and the general public know more about MEAM to help attract the finest students and faculty, partners interested in collaboration, and business and government support. Work closely with the undergraduate and graduate programs chairs, as well as the area coordinators, to plan the offering and scheduling of MEAM courses. He will also coordinate initiatives that bridge the undergraduate and graduate programs, such as the development of combined BS/MS degrees. Work closely with the administrative manager to plan and strategize the Department's future staffing needs, and improve the working environment. Optimize MEAM's use of space and facilities. Possible initiatives include the creation of clusters of faculty, staff, and students in each research area to create more effective and efficient work teams. This new position is a natural progression for Pierre, who has served as MEAM's graduate programs chair since 1996. He joined MEAM in 1985 and his research interest is structural dynamics and vibrations. He received his MS from Princeton University and PhD from Duke University. Before that, he earned an engineering degree from the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures de Paris, France. Pierre is the associate editor of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Journal of Vibration and Acoustics; member of the advisory board of Nonlinear Dynamics; and an ASME fellow. He is the recipient of the 1998 College of Engineering (CoE) Research Excellence Award.