Source: Don Fenton, 785-532-2322, fenton@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Mary Rankin, 785-532-6715, mrankin@k-state.edu
Friday, June 5, 2009
DON FENTON TO HEAD DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL AND NUCLEAR ENGINEERING IN
K-STATE'S COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
MANHATTAN -- Don Fenton, professor, has been named head of the department of mechanical and nuclear engineering at Kansas State University. Fenton will assume his new duties Aug. 1.
Fenton joined the mechanical and nuclear engineering faculty at K-State in 1986 as an associate professor. He became a full professor in 1992 and has completed 22 years of service to the department. His recent teaching assignment areas include heat transfer, thermal systems, industrial projects senior design, electrical generating power plants, indoor environmental engineering, thermodynamics and honors research.
"I have every confidence in Don Fenton's ability to take on the academic and administrative challenges of this position," said John English, dean of the College of Engineering. "He is a valued colleague and we are extremely pleased that he will be at the helm of mechanical and nuclear engineering."
Fenton earned his bachelor's in mechanical engineering from K-State in 1969, and completed both a master's and doctorate in that discipline from the University of Illinois in 1970 and 1974, respectively. He began his career as a research engineer for the IIT Research Institute and then the New Mexico Solar Energy Institute. His first academic appointment was associate professor at New Mexico State University in 1977, where he remained until coming to K-State.
Fenton is a recipient of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Region VIII Centennial Award and the Society of Automotive Engineers' Ralph R. Teeter National Education Award, and he is a National Aeronautics and Space Administration Summer Faculty Fellow.
Fenton will replace Mo Hosni, current department head and professor of mechanical and nuclear engineering, who will return to his academic post and continue in a leadership role in the Big 12 Engineering Consortium.
