UAH names new president
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The University of Alabama in Huntsville has a new president: Donald Leo.
Why it matters: Leo is taking the reins at one of Huntsville's most important research and workforce pipelines amid rapid growth in the region's aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing and high-tech industries.
Zoom in: University trustees framed Leo's 30-plus-year career as one crafted specifically for the job of UAH president, including building the University of Georgia's engineering school from the ground up.
- "He's an aerospace engineer by training, a nationally-respected research leader by experience, with a career built in engineering-driven, federally-sponsored research environments," said UA System Chancellor Sid Trant.
What they're saying: "It fits perfectly," Leo said, on applying his experience working with federal agencies like the Department of Defense and the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
- He said NASA was one of the reasons he became an aerospace engineer in the first place, and he's excited to work with the agency.
Driving the news: Trant said the goal was to "find a leader who will capitalize on the university's location in the heart of one of the nation's most dynamic cities."
- That includes drawing in high-achieving students, building strategic partnerships with federal agencies and the community, and accelerating UAH's growth and role in economic and workforce development, he said.
Catch up quick: Leo, the university's 11th president, follows Charles Karr, who served as UAH president for almost five years, starting with a stint as interim president.
- Karr announced his retirement last October, ending a tenure that saw a focus on increasing UAH's research and development efforts, business partnerships and academic outcomes, per AL.com.