Media Contact: Susan Cipollaro, scipollaro@fairfield.edu, 203-254-4000 x2726

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (April 18, 2020) — Fairfield University is pleased to announce that Andres L. Carrano, PhD, currently a professor and associate dean for research in the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing at Georgia Southern University, has been appointed dean of the School of Engineering, following a national search.

Dr. Carrano, who has previously held administrative and endowed positions at Auburn University and Rochester Institute of Technology, will formally assume the position of dean at Fairfield on August 1, 2020.

In addition to prior faculty appointments at universities in Japan, Turkey, and Venezuela, Dr. Carrano served as a Fulbright scholar in Italy in 2018, and was awarded a NASA research fellowship at the Marshall Space Flight Center in 2016. He earned his MS and PhD degrees in industrial and systems engineering from North Carolina State University, and his BS degree in industrial engineering from Universidad Católica Andres Bello — the oldest of three Jesuit universities in Venezuela.

“Dr. Carrano brings to the School of Engineering a wealth of experience in developing cutting-edge programs, directing laboratory and research initiatives, and cultivating strong industry partnerships,” said Fairfield University Provost Christine Siegel, PhD.

“His Jesuit-educated mindset, engineering expertise, and global perspective will continue to prepare our students to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving technology-based society, while encouraging them to appreciate the importance of service to the common good through the engineering profession,” Dr. Siegel continued.

While at Auburn University, Dr. Carrano founded and co-directed the 3D-Printed BioSurfaces Laboratory and the International Research Group in Sustainable Pallets. At RIT, he founded the Toyota Production Systems Laboratory and served as its director for more than a decade, growing the lab into a nationally recognized, award-winning facility. He was also instrumental in the development and delivery of a master’s program in sustainable Engineering at RIT, the first of its kind in the U.S.

“I am honored to be joining Fairfield University this fall and excited at the opportunity to return to my Jesuit educational roots,” said Dr. Carrano. “Most importantly, I am enthusiastic to be part of the outstanding team of faculty and staff from the School of Engineering, and confident that together we will continue its growth while providing an exceptional student experience.”

Having recently commemorated its 25^th anniversary, Fairfield University’s School of Engineering is widely recognized for its experiential curriculum and industry-aligned collaborations, supported by faculty with an applied research focus. This year’s U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of national master’s degree-granting institutions listed Fairfield’s engineering school at No. 75 in the country (out of 210), a 28-place jump from 2018.

Posted On: April 21, 2020

Volume: 51 Number: 90

Fairfield University is a modern, Jesuit Catholic university rooted in one of the world’s oldest intellectual and spiritual traditions. More than 5,000 undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe are pursuing degrees in the University’s five schools. Fairfield embraces a liberal humanistic approach to education, encouraging critical thinking, cultivating free and open inquiry, and fostering ethical and religious values. The University is located on a stunning 200-acre campus on the scenic Connecticut coast just an hour from New York City.