Dean of Engineering William A. "Bud" Baeslack welcomed me in the reception area, dominated by large oil paintings, and ushered me into his office. The large windows across one wall of the room command a spectacular view of the ’86 Field and the green-roofed buildings in the area, but I sat with my back to that vista.

From my vantage point, I was very much aware of the technical drawings and models littering the walls and shelf space across the office. I was most certainly in the presence of a die-hard engineer.

Like Provost Bud Peterson, Baeslack received his nickname from his father, William Baeslack Jr. "My father was called ‘Bud’ probably to distinguish him from his father, also William," he remarked. Though the name "Buddy" was very popular through the fifties and sixties, I had to remark that it’s a strange quirk of fate that we ended up with two "Buds" in Rensselaer’s academic hierarchy.

Born and raised in the Cleveland, Ohio, area, Bud’s calling to science and engineering was an early one. As a young boy living in the country, he would collect rocks, bugs, and butterflies to observe. "I enjoyed chemistry and earth science in high school, but by my senior year I started moving in the direction of engineering," mentions Bud. "[My father thought] I could combine my interests in science with a more applied career. Being an aeronautical engineering major, combined with my Air Force ROTC scholarship seemed to be a perfect match."

However, after about a year at Ohio State University as an aeronautical engineering major, Bud switched into welding engineering, which combined metallurgical, mechanical, and materials engineering, with many other engineering disciplines. "Having had that diverse set of courses in engineering really gave me a valuable perspective on all of the fields of engineering. In retrospect, it was a great education," he remarks.

Because the Vietnam War had ended, Bud was able to continue on for another year at OSU, receiving his graduate degree in the materials science aspects of welding and joining in 1974. A year later, the Air Force was still willing to allow Bud to continue on for a Ph.D. at Rensselaer. "I asked my advisor where the best place to study materials science of welding and joining was. He said there were three at the time; M.I.T., Lehigh, and Rensselaer," recalled Bud.

He completed his Ph.D. in June of 1978, and then entered the Air Force as a lieutenant, at one of their premier research facilities (Bud currently holds the Air Force Reserve rank of lieutenant colonel).

Upon completion of his military service, Bud returned to Ohio as a faculty member. "I interviewed (at) a couple of places, but because of my connections to the area, I decided to return to OSU. It was a place I was familiar with." During his time at OSU, he went from assistant professor all the way up to interim vice president for research. "I’ve always tried to pick new positions where I would learn, and then do my best. When you move into administration, you want to provide leadership. You’re in a role where you need to put others ahead of yourself. The advancement of [your faculty] becomes a priority," said Bud.

"The most pleasing things I’ve accomplished have been when I pull(ed) a group of faculty together, and worked hard to put together a proposal. And when it’s all said and done, you step away from that and it’s now the faculty’s. That’s what I’ve really enjoyed doing," he states. In November 1999, Bud returned to RPI to become dean of the School of Engineering. "The first year I was here, I spent an hour or so with every junior faculty member, to get a sense of what they’re doing," he remarks. As dean he continues to put contact with the faculty as one of his top priorities. "Our job is to promote their success."

Aside from being the dean of Rensselaer’s largest school, Bud is also a family man. Two of his three children are currently living in Columbus, Ohio, and his youngest is attending junior high school locally. Recreationally, softball and baseball are his passions, but once his kids came into his life, he found himself coaching baseball more than playing it; Bud coached his son’s baseball team over a period of several years. "Up here, it’s been very busy, but I may well play softball again next year," he hopes.

In closing, Bud remarks, "Don’t look at your four years here as ‘having to do your time.’ It’s a great place; there’s so much you can do and learn outside of class. This can contribute to your success just as much [as your academics]. Be proactive and get involved." He recalls that his involvement in an undergraduate research project at Ohio State stimulated his interest to go farther, and eventually led him to where he is today. "It’s the little things you do proactively that make the differences to change your life."

Dean Baeslack can be contacted at baeslack@rpi.edu.

NEXT WEEK: David Haviland, vice president for Institute Advancement