Geoffrey Orsak

Geoffrey Charles Orsak (born May 26, 1963) Geoffrey Charles Orsak (May 26, 1963) was born in Schenectady,NY. He grew up in Corpus Christi, Laredo, and San Antonio, TX. He attended Rice University where he received his BSEE (’85), MEE (’86) and PhD (’90) degrees.While there he was elected President of Will Rice College.

He began his academic career at George Mason University where he reached the level of Associate Professor with Tenure. While there he served for a year as a Presidential Fellow, assisting the President and other senior staff with key strategic issues. He left GMU for Southern Methodist University where he became Professor of Electrical Engineering and Associate Dean for Research and Development.

In 2004, he was named Dean of the SMU School of Engineering and Applied Science. During his two terms, he was successful in securing the support to rename the school the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering.

After serving as Dean for eight years, he was appointed as the 18th President of the University of Tulsa, as position he held for a short time. Upon mutual agreement, he returned to Dallas, TX where he currently serves as a consultant and adviser to a number of organizations.

Biography

The impact of his work as an academic leader and researcher has been praised by his peers and recognized in the national media and through a variety of professional awards.

Orsak was one of the first advocates in the country for including engineering in the K-12 curricula with the purpose of teaching creativity and design while bringing excitement to math and science. In 1999, together with the support of Texas Instruments, Inc. and after assembling a national team of renowned researchers and educators, he launched the Infinity Project to bring engineering and innovation education to all students in the country. Today, the Infinity Project, is serving students in approximately forty states and six countries.

Dr. Orsak was also among the very first engineering Deans to call for gender parity in engineering enrollments. Under his efforts, the Lyle School of Engineering consistently enrolled twice the number of female students as the national average. In addition, he led a team that developed the first collaborative Skunk Works Teaching Lab in the nation based on the innovative design and manufacturing practices of the iconic and top-secret Skunk Works in Palmdale, CA, a recipient of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation in 2007.

In being selected as the first ever Educator of the Year in Engineering and Science, Brian Fuller, publisher and editor-in-chief of EE Times magazine said “Geoffrey C. Orsak is a true pioneer and visionary for the development of technical education among students across America. We are proud to select him as the first-ever recipient of the [EE Times] ACE Award for Educator of the Year. His accomplishments set the standard for all future winners.”

Dr. Orsak has been the lead researcher on more than 30 funded research projects supported by both the federal government and private corporations. For his contributions to education and research in electrical engineering, Dr. Orsak was elected [IEEE Fellow]. (Fellow status is conferred by the IEEE Board of Directors “upon a person with an extraordinary record of accomplishments” and recognizes “unusual distinction in the profession.”)

Dr. Orsak was also appointed “Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE” for his pioneering work in research and education of wireless communications, a role reserved for “engineering professionals who help lead their fields in new technical developments that shape the global community.”

Dr. Orsak has on multiple occasions addressed esteemed bodies of both the US government and the Texas state government including the United States House Committee on Appropriations, March 23, 2004; United States House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Subcommittee on Research, April 22, 2002; The President’s 21st Century Workforce Commission, February 24, 2000; Congressional Black Caucus, October 13, 2007; and Texas Summit on Technology, Texas State House, February 28, 2005.

Dr. Orsak was invited by The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine to serve on a Blue Ribbon panel of scientists and engineers convened to conduct a comprehensive review of the Marine Corps Science and Technology Program. This year long study led to a major published policy report providing direction for the Department of the Navy and the Marine Corp for future directions in technology investment.

In addition to his work within the profession, Dr. Orsak also served the United States as a member of the elite Defense Science Study Group (’98-’99). The Defense Science Study Group is a “Highly select group of fifteen science and engineering faculty under the age of 40 chosen from more than 200 nominees to participate in intensive two year service to the DoD closely examining issues related to the role that science and technology play in national defense”. As part of this work, he and two colleagues developed a new national strategy to protect the US communications and computer infrastructure from malicious actors. Due to the importance of this work, this particular study was presented to the White House Science and Technology Adviser.

Dr. Orsak has also been focused on the role that technology and innovation play in advancing the economy of the US. In this capacity, he Co-Organized the “CEO Summit on E-Government” with the USA Government CIO Mark Foreman. He has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the Texas Engineering and Technical Consortium, established by the State of Texas to expand the technology industry. He has also served on the Strategy Group on Advanced Technology for the State of Texas, the Board of Directors of the Metroplex Technology Business Council, the Greater Chamber of Commerce for North Texas’ Technology Business Council, and the DFW Semiconductor Executive Council.

And in 2008, Dr. Orsak was appointed to the National Petroleum Council, the senior-most advisory body to the Secretary of Energy . He was also named the “2008 Pillar for Citizenship” by the [[Northside Independent School District]], one of the largest districts in the state of Texas.

In 2011, Dr. Orsak was awarded the SMU M Award from Southern Methodist University: “The "M" Award is the highest award bestowed upon members of the SMU community. It is awarded to recognize individuals who are an inspiration to others, giving unselfishly of their time and talents in order to make the University, and indeed the world, a better place for all of us to live.”

In 2005, together with his team, he was recognized with the 2005 American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Dean’s Council Award for Promoting Engineering Education and Careers for the creation of the national program - Visioneering.

Dr. Orsak is also a Trustee of Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, one of the state’s largest research and development enterprises and he has also served as Chairman of the Board for the Da Vinci School in Dallas, TX.

Personal life

Orsak is married to Catherine Orsak who is a Professor of Psychiatry at the The University ofTexas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, MedicalDirector of Psychiatry Consult Service at University Hospitals, and UTSW Medical School Director of Fellowship in Psychosomatic Medicine. They have two children, Mary Elizabeth Orsak and Peter Orsak. Geoffrey has two siblings: a younger brother named Stephen Paul Orsak and an older sister named Leah Erard.

External links

• "The University of Tulsa Names SMU Dean of Engineering as New President", University of Tulsa press release, May 2, 2012.
• Geoffrey C. Orsak faculty biography at Lyle School of Engineering, archived by WebCite from the original on 2012-05-02.
• Pamela Gwyn Kripke, "SMU Dean of Engineering Geoffrey C. Orsak On Setting Minds Free: The dean of SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering is teaching his students the art of 'successful failure.'", D Magazine, June 2009.