UAH names new provost and executive vice president for academic affairs

The University of Alabama in Huntsville has named a new provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. The announcement was made Friday by UAH officials.

Dr. David A. Puleo will take over the position starting Aug. 1. Reporting directly to the president, Puleo will serve as the chief academic officer of the university.

Meet Dr. David Puleo

Puleo comes to UAH from Ole Miss, where he currently serves as dean of the School of Engineering. Prior to joining UM, he served as associate dean for research and graduate studies and a professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Kentucky.

Here are a few more quick facts about Puleo:

• Puleo earned a B.S. and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
• He has written over 120 refereed journal articles, co-authored a textbook, and been published in several other books and periodicals.
• Puleo has served as principal investigator and investigator on federal, state, and industry grants and contracts exceeding $13M.
• His research has led to more than 15 intellectual property disclosures, patent applications, and patents, and is associated with two start-up companies. 
• Puleo is an elected fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Society, International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering and National Academy of Inventors.

UAH officials welcome the new provost

Puleo obviously comes to the Rocket City with an impressive resume, and officials with the university had plenty of praise to shower upon him when the announcement of his hire was made.

“I am excited to announce that Dr. Puleo will be joining our leadership team here at UAH as our new provost,” said UAH Interim President Chuck Karr. “His broad-ranging administrative, academic, and technical experience, as well as his track record of research expertise, all make for a wonderful fit for our mission at UAH. I believe his commitment to student, faculty, and staff academic support and collaboration will positively impact the entire university community and our vision as an institution. I am looking forward to working closely with him as we continue to grow UAH as a model of an innovative 21st-century university.”

“It’s an honor to join UAH, and I’m grateful to Interim President Karr and the search committee for this fantastic opportunity. The university has a remarkable history, and I’m excited to be a part of the next chapter. I look forward to working with a great team to advance the university’s mission and benefit Huntsville, the nation, and beyond.”

Dr. David Puleo

While appropriate members of The Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms and conditions of this proposed appointment, the financial terms remain subject to approval by The Board of Trustees.

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