Princeton University Professor Andrew Houck has been appointed dean of the University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, effective Aug. 1. Houck succeeds Dean Andrea Goldsmith as she becomes president of Stony Brook University.
A national leader in the field of quantum science and engineering, co-directs the Princeton Quantum Initiative and leads a federally funded national quantum research center. He is the Anthony H.P. Lee ’79 Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
“I am thrilled that Andrew Houck will be the next dean of Princeton’s School of Engineering and Applied Science,” President Christopher Eisgruber said. “He has excelled at Princeton as a decorated student, beloved teacher, and team-building researcher. Andrew understands the soul of the School, and he has the exceptional vision and skills required to lead it forward at a time of both turbulence and opportunity.”
Houck earned his Ph.D. in physics at Harvard University, then worked in a prominent quantum physics lab at Yale University before joining the Princeton faculty in 2008. He played a leading role in developing one of the most promising approaches to building a quantum computer and has consulted widely across industry and government to help guide effective strategies for developing quantum technology.
Houck also spearheaded the creation of a first-year engineering curriculum at Princeton that proved successful in retaining and launching students who might otherwise have left engineering.
“Andrew Houck is a fantastic scholar, an innovative and devoted educator, and a seasoned leader of interdisciplinary research,” Provost Jennifer Rexford said. “He will be an exceptional dean of engineering at an important time for the School, the University, and our country, and I so look forward to working with him.”
