COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Dr. John M. Niedzwecki, associate vice chancellor and executive associate dean for engineering, has been appointed Regents Professor by the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System. Niedzwecki is a professor in the Zachry Department of Civil Engineering and holder of the R.P. Gregory ’32 Chair in Civil Engineering as well as associate director of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), the engineering research agency of Texas and a member of the A&M System. He was among 14 professors and administrators with Texas A&M and A&M System agencies who received the designation of Regents Professor or Regents Fellow for 2006-2007 during a Nov. 30 meeting of the A&M System Board of Regents. Niedzwecki joined Texas A&M more than 27 years ago as an assistant professor, was promoted through the academic ranks and eventually selected to lead the department. As head of the Department of Civil Engineering from 1998-2003, he was instrumental in leading the department to rank among the nation’s top 10. He directed development of a departmental strategic plan, providing impetus to a successful fund-raising campaign, reintroduction of a survey camp, professional day for students, naming of the department, and numerous awards. He has been heavily involved in developing new courses, initiating major classroom renovations, and furthering international education and research exchanges between Texas A&M students and students abroad. Niedzwecki specializes in offshore civil engineering, and was instrumental in securing the National Science Foundation (NSF) Offshore Technology Research Center (OTRC) for TEES and the A&M System. He later led the center’s transition to becoming fully funded by the energy industry. He has published numerous journal articles and made more than 75 conference presentations. Niedzwecki is a registered professional engineer in Texas and serves on the board of trustees of the Southwest Research Institute. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers and a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, serving as an associate editor of its Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering. Niedzwecki holds two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree from Boston University, and earned his Ph.D. from the Catholic University of America.
