Joseph Helble '82, Professor of Engineering and Dean of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, was appointed Dartmouth's next provost by Dartmouth president Phil Hanlon. His term begins October 1.
Helble is a summa cum laude chemical engineering graduate of Lehigh University and a 1987 chemical engineering Ph.D. graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is a distinguished alumni of the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science at Lehigh.
As dean, Helble brought national prominence to Thayer, making it a national leader in educating women in engineering and creating the first engineering PhD innovation program in the country.
A professor of engineering and a recognized leader in his field, Helble is in his fourth term as Thayer's dean, having led the school for almost 13 years. During his tenure, the school's funding has grown to record levels and enrollment has nearly doubled. In particular, the engineering school has seen a sharp increase in the percentage of engineering graduates who are women. In 2016, Dartmouth granted 52 percent of its undergraduate engineering degrees to women, making it the first national research university to award more bachelor’s degrees in engineering to women than to men. The national average is 20 percent.
President Hanlon says Helble has demonstrated a keen ability to lead and innovate while at Thayer, which has flourished under his leadership.
"As an educational trailblazer, Joe Helble is eminently suited to help shape Dartmouth's future at this time of dynamic change and opportunity," says Hanlon. "He is a visionary and skilled leader who will bring a track record of accomplishment to his new role."
As provost, Helble will report to Hanlon and serve as a key member of the president's senior leadership group.
"I am honored to be taking on this important role, at this momentous time for Dartmouth," Helble said, "and I look forward to working closely with President Hanlon and the extraordinary people at Dartmouth -- our talented faculty, gifted students, and committed staff."
As Dartmouth's second-ranking officer and the chief academic officer, Helble, in consultation with the academic deans, will be charged with advancing the teaching and scholarship of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Geisel School of Medicine, the Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, the Tuck School of Business, and Thayer.
Helble has served on several EPA Science Advisory Board panels on air toxics and particulate matter as well as the first draft report on the environment. He is a member of the editorial boards of Environmental Engineering Science and Fuel Processing Technology and a member of the College of Engineering and Mathematical Science Advisory Board at the University of Vermont.
Helble is the author of over 100 publications in the areas of air pollution, aerosols, nanoscale ceramics and air quality and holds three US patents related to nanoscale powder production.
Helble was a recipient of a young faculty Career Award from NSF, an outstanding young faculty award from the University of Connecticut School of Engineering, and the inaugural environmental faculty leadership award from the University of Connecticut. He is a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.
-Story by Mary Anne Lynch '16G
