Baeslack came to RPI from Ohio State University, and will be returning there in the coming months. He cited a return to his family there as the primary reason for his decision to leave RPI. He said he had not been looking to leave, and had previously turned down an offer by Ohio State, but when they made the offer again, he said it was more difficult to refuse. His parents and other family members still live in the area, and he admitted, “If there were no Baeslacks in Ohio, then I’d be at Rensselaer.”

Baeslack has been at RPI for nearly five years, and says he was probably Shirley Ann Jackson’s first hire as president of the Institute. As such, he has been here since The Rensselaer Plan was put into action, and has seen the developments and changes that have taken place over the years. He said he is somewhat shocked at times at what the leadership at RPI has been able to achieve in such a short span of time.

“These are defining times for Rensselaer, and it’s been a privilege to contribute to that even for five years,” he said.

He said he has greatly enjoyed working with his colleagues, faculty, and alumni, and leaving them is the hardest part of his decision. He said that opportunities like the one that was presented to him are like windows that are only open for a short period of time. Even though he would have liked to stay here for several more years, he did not want to miss the chance to return to Ohio. On June 1, Professor Lester Gerhardt will assume the role of acting dean of engineering.

Dean of Science Joe Flaherty is leading the committee to find a new dean of engineering, and said that “a lot of work has been done and will continue until students leave for the summer.” He said that the committee is looking for candidates who exhibit a wide range of traits “from managerial abilities and skills to having a record of personal excellence in research and scholarship.” Flaherty expanded that during the first few meetings, the committee set the exact qualifications they will be looking for in the candidates, and that students, faculty, and staff each played a part in that process. These standards have now been finalized and will be used to evaluate the applicants for the position.

Flaherty said that the committee’s goal is to have a new dean of engineering in place for next fall, and that they are going to stick to this goal as best they can. He added that as a part of the interview process, “both undergraduate and graduate students are going to have the opportunity to interview and evaluate all candidates during campus visits.”

Sanderson is traveling this week, and was unable to comment for the article, but has said that he is stepping down in order to return to teaching full time as he had done prior to his appointment to the vice presidency. On July 1, Professor Wolf Von Maltzahn will assume the role of acting vice-president for research.

Vice President for Institute Advancement David Haviland has been selected to chair the committee to interview and suggest a candidate to replace Sanderson. The committee includes people from around campus such as professors from multiple departments and assistant vice-presidents. “We have a committee that is big and diverse, that will cover our interests,” he said.

“Dr. Jackson has set an aggressive schedule for us to follow, and we are ahead. Research enterprise does move fast, and we plan to stay ahead,” Haviland said of the committee’s work. With The Rensselaer Plan calling for an increase of research grants to $100 million over the five years it is in place, the vice president of research’s role is at the center of the transition here, and the committee is taking this into account as they search for a new person.

Haviland said that both these appointments are critical to The Rensselaer Plan and other external assessing measures, and that the new hires have the ability to shape many things within their respective areas and without. “We plan to raise the bar,” explained Haviland.