Ranjan has established numerous fundraising, outreach, and community-building initiatives as chair of the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.
Devesh Ranjan, the Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. School Chair of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has been named dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW).
Ranjan graduated from UW and has been at Georgia Tech since 2014. He was selected as dean by UW Provost Charles Isbell, a Georgia Tech graduate and former dean of the College of Computing.
Ranjan will lead the Woodruff School through the spring semester. He will join UW in June.
“Devesh is a visionary leader who has created numerous programs to strengthen the Woodruff School community,” said Raheem Beyah, dean of the College of Engineering and Southern Company Chair. “Georgia Tech is my alma mater, and I know there’s nothing like going home. Devesh’s deep commitment and determination will undoubtedly lead to his continued success as he returns to UW to innovate and lead the university’s college of engineering. I’m grateful for his commitment to Tech and the Woodruff School, as well as his valuable guidance and partnership.”
Ranjan has created several initiatives as school chair, a role he assumed in 2022. Among them:
Woodruff Strong
The $30 million initiative supports scholarships and fellowships, academic support services, and health and wellness resources. Woodruff Strong is part of Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech.
Women of Woodruff (WoW)
WoW brings together College alumnae and friends to attract, support, and retain women students, faculty, and staff in the Woodruff School. Programs include fellowships, guest lectures, leadership summits, and mentoring.
Woodruff Young Alumni Council (YAC)
The Council works to increase engagement among mechanical engineering and nuclear and radiological engineering students by providing professional development, amplifying entrepreneurial impact, and enhancing the student and young alumni experience.
GT PRIME
The four-week STEM immersion and mentoring program is catered to high school counselors and K-12 students, giving them a behind-the-scenes look at what the Woodruff School has to offer.
Ranjan also laid the foundation for TechMade, an effort spanning the colleges of engineering, business, and design to give students hands-on exposure to the full sweep of product realization, from design to manufacturing. To enhance interdisciplinary research at Georgia Tech, Ranjan created the interdisciplinary graduate fellowship, a cohort-based fully funded fellowship for Woodruff School graduate students.
“While I’m excited to embrace the opportunity to serve and make an impact at my alma mater, it’s bittersweet to leave behind a place that has been my home for the last 11 years. The incredible students, faculty, and staff who have become my family,” Ranjan said. “I am deeply grateful for their unwavering support, and I know that they will continue to carry forth initiatives that will support and strengthen the Woodruff School community for years to come.”
The Woodruff School was the first unit on campus to reach its goal ($75 million) for the Transforming Tomorrow capital campaign. The School’s current total is $89.9 million.
Ranjan’s research focuses on power conversion and complex fluid flows involving shock and hydrodynamic instabilities. He also studies the turbulent mixing of materials in extreme conditions, such as supersonic and hypersonic flows.
Details about interim leadership and the search for the next permanent chair of the Woodruff School will be announced soon.
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Related Content
Devesh Ranjan Receives Distinguished Alumni Award from Alma Mater
Ranjan was honored by NIT-Tiruchirappalli, where he earned his bachelor’s degree.
TechMade: Building an Interdisciplinary Design Community
Stretching across three colleges, TechMade unifies design experiences across campus along with fellowships for grad students and a new undergrad course.
Women of Woodruff
WoW brings together College alumnae and friends to attract, support, and retain women students, faculty, and staff in the Woodruff School.
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