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William J. Wepfer has succeeded Ward O. Winer as chair of the School of Mechanical Engineering.
Prior to being named the Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. chair of the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Wepfer was the vice provost of Distance Learning and Professional Education, a position he was appointed to in 2003. Revenues for professional education, distance-delivered credit programs, English as a Second Language and operation of Georgia Tech's Global Learning Center increased by 50 percent within three years after his appointment.
Winer retired from the school effective Nov. 30. Wepfer's appointment took effect Jan. 1.
Wepfer joined Georgia Tech in 1980 as an assistant professor and progressed through the ranks to become a full professor in 1993. From 1989 through 2002, he served as associate chair for Graduate Studies in the Woodruff School. During that time, graduate enrollment more than tripled.
College of Engineering Dean Don Giddens said Wepfer has "a history of interdisciplinary activities and working with corporations and foundations to develop and deliver professional education and promote lifelong learning."
His research interests are in thermal systems, heat transfer and thermodynamics, with particular emphasis on energy systems. Among his goals as chair are to increase research activities in energy and enhance the school's role in the Georgia Tech Strategic Energy Institute.
Wepfer earned a bachelor's degree at Marquette University, a master's at Stanford and a doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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