In his 20 years at the University of Florida – including eight as head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering – Hahn oversaw the construction of a 4,000-square-foot student design center and increased the number of female BS graduates in his department to 50% above the national average for mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Hahn joined the College of Engineering in 2019. His tenure has seen rankings, enrollment and research funding surge to record levels. And his push for diversity and inclusion has brought traditionally underrepresented student populations to the college in numbers well above the national averages.

Craig M. Berge, who earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the UA in 1957, had a successful career in the automotive industry and stayed involved with the university throughout his life. When he passed away in 2017, his wife, Nancy Haddad Berge, made a gift to the college that established the four-year design program and an endowed chair for the dean of engineering.

Jennifer Barton
Thomas R. Brown Distinguished Chair

Renowned in the field for her development of miniature endoscopes that combine multiple optical imaging techniques, BIO5 Institute Director Barton’s research has laid the groundwork for novel diagnostic and treatment methods of cancers and other diseases. She has published over 120 peer-reviewed journal papers in these research areas.

The Thomas R. Brown Foundations are named for the cofounder of Burr-Brown Research Corp. The distinguished chair is tasked with advancing biotechnological research and education in the college, fostering collaborations with other colleges and campus units, promoting and working with diverse teams, and providing national leadership in the field of bioengineering.

Kray Luxbacher
Gregory H. and Lisa S. Boyce Leadership Chair of Mining and Geological Engineering

Luxbacher is an expert in atmospheric monitoring, ventilation system characterization, mine fire simulation and prevention, and mine risk analysis. Before joining the college as MGE department head, she led the Department of Mining and Minerals at Virginia Tech, where she was the first female tenure-track professor.

Greg Boyce earned his BA in mining engineering in 1976 and went on to lead global energy and mining companies, including Rio Tinto Energy and Peabody Energy. Lisa Boyce is a 1978 business administration alum. The chair is intended to ensure the longevity of strong leadership in the position and see that the UA mining program becomes one of the best in the world.

Sammy Tin
Patrick R. Taylor Endowed Chair of Materials Science and Engineering

As MSE department head, Tin emphasizes the interdisciplinary aspects of the field, including research areas like microelectronics processing, advanced manufacturing, quantum computing, flexible electronics and hypersonic vehicles. He previously served as the chair of materials engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology.

MSE alum Dylan Taylor and his wife, Gabrielle, made a gift to establish the chair in honor of Dylan’s father, Patrick R. Taylor, who is a pioneer of extractive metallurgy.