Dean Louis Martin-Vega has announced that Dr. Robert M. Kolbas accepted a one year appointment as Interim Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering effective July, 1, 2008. The intent will be to conduct a national search during 2008-09 for a permanent department head who will assume the position in fall, 2009.

Dr. Kolbas has been a member of the NC State faculty for twenty three years and was formerly Head of the ECE department from 1995-2000. After receiving his Ph.D. in Physics in 1979 from the University of Illinois, he was employed by Honeywell as a Senior Research Scientist until joining the NC State faculty in 1985. His primary research interests are in Nanoelectronics and Photonics including III-V Materials and Devices, Optical Materials and Photonic Devices. He has published more than 140 manuscripts in refereed journals and is a member of IEEE, the American Physical Society, Sigma Xi and Tau Beta Phi.

The Dean extended his appreciation to Dr. Trew for his leadership and the many positive contributions that he made to the ECE department during his tenure as department head. “In addition to the recruitment of a number of outstanding new faculty, his own research efforts and professional contributions have provided the department with significant recognition enhancing the stature of both the department and the College nationally and internationally. Bob will continue as the Alton and Mildred Lancaster Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and we look forward to his research and teaching contributions for many years to come.”