Dr. Greg Kopp named Acting Dean, Western Engineering

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Western Engineering News | July 31, 2018

Following the recent announcement that Engineering Dean Dr. Andrew Hrymak would become Western’s Provost & Vice-President (Academic), Western Engineering is pleased to announce that Dr. Greg Kopp will serve in Hrymak’s place as Acting Dean of the Faculty of Engineering for the period of August 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019.

Kopp is currently a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, who also serves as Associate Dean (Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies) in the Faculty of Engineering. Kopp joined Western as a full-time faculty member in 1997, prior to which he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Chemical Engineering Department in Tarragona, Spain.  

In addition, Kopp serves as Director of Western's Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory, is the lead researcher for the Three Little Pigs Project at The Insurance Research Lab for Better Homes and is a former Canada Research Chair in Wind Engineering.

Kopp’s expertise and research projects relate to mitigating damage to structures during extreme wind storms such as tornadoes and hurricanes. He was recently featured in one of Western’s Be Extraordinary spotlight stories, Building Resilience, which looks at how Kopp’s research proves affordable measures to make more resilient homes, from Canada to the Caribbean.

“I’m excited about this opportunity,” said Kopp. “Our faculty is in an excellent position right now, and I hope to keep the positive momentum going for the next year.”

Under Hrymak’s leadership, spanning almost a decade, Western Engineering saw an increase in undergraduate and graduate enrolment, industry partnerships, alumni activities and outreach initiatives. He has also overseen the construction of a landmark new building, ThreeC+, as well as the WindEEE Dome at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Park. He also forged a number of cross-campus partnerships, including ones with Ivey Business School and Western Law.

Hrymak is extremely confident in Kopp’s capabilities as a leader to oversee Western Engineering initiatives and uphold the Faculty’s vision.

"Greg is highly respected within the Western Engineering community for his academic leadership, and I am very pleased that he has accepted the role of Acting Dean for the coming year,” said Hrymak.

“He has also been closely involved in the planning of a number of our recent major initiatives, including the School of Biomedical Engineering and Centre of Engineering Leadership and Innovation." 

Western Engineering is delighted that Kopp has agreed to take on the role of Acting Dean, and is confident he will provide strong leadership during the interim period to search for the next Dean of Engineering.