After an extensive national search, the University of Georgia has selected Alessandro “Alex” Orso as the new dean for the College of Engineering, with an official starting date of July 1.
Orso is presently a professor in the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and he serves as the director of the Scientific Software Engineering Center at Georgia Tech. He previously held the position of associate dean for off-campus and special initiatives within the College of Computing at Georgia Tech from 2020 to 2025, and acted as the interim dean of the college during the 2023-2024 academic year.
“I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Orso to the University of Georgia as the new dean of the College of Engineering,” stated President Jere W. Morehead. “Throughout his career, Dr. Orso has made a name for himself as an outstanding educator, researcher, and academic leader. I am confident that he will elevate our esteemed College of Engineering to even greater accomplishments in the years ahead.”
A specialist in software engineering, Orso’s scholarly work is centered on software testing, program analysis, and debugging. His contributions encompass the creation of techniques aimed at enhancing software reliability, security, and trustworthiness, and the validation of these techniques on practical systems. His research has garnered funding from various government bodies and industry collaborators, including Google, IBM, and Microsoft.
In 2021, Orso played a key role in obtaining $11 million in philanthropic investments from Schmidt Futures to create the Scientific Software Engineering Center at Georgia Tech. He serves as the founding director of the center, which aims to develop new methodologies for improving scientific software and to educate a new generation of software engineers.
“Dr. Orso possesses a compelling vision for promoting excellence in the College of Engineering,” remarked S. Jack Hu, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “His strong dedication to instructional innovation and student achievement, impressive research record, and creative methods for establishing partnerships make him a perfect leader for the next chapter of the college.”
Orso is a distinguished member of the Association for Computing Machinery and holds the title of Fellow with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Apart from his research, Orso has shown dedication to remarkable teaching and innovation within the classroom. He was an early supporter of Georgia Tech’s Online Master of Science in Computer Science program, and he continues to instruct a virtual software engineering course he designed in 2014, coinciding with the program’s launch.
Orso attained his doctorate in computer science, as well as his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering from Politecnico di Milano in Italy.
As dean, Orso will oversee the UGA College of Engineering’s academic initiatives, research endeavors, and outreach activities. Established in 2012, the college houses 120 faculty members and 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
The college currently comprises four schools: the School of Chemical, Materials, and Biomedical Engineering; the School of Computing; the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural, and Mechanical Engineering. The School of Computing is co-administered by the College of Engineering and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.
Research funding within the College of Engineering has seen substantial growth, increasing over 300% in the past five years. The college hosts six centers and institutes, including the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems, the New Materials Institute, and the Engineering Education Transformations Institute. Additionally, college faculty lead the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility, a consortium comprising universities, government entities, and industry partners focused on advancing research and development in electric mobility innovations within Georgia and beyond.
“The College of Engineering at UGA is on an impressive rise — a testament to the passion, commitment, and dedication to excellence displayed by its faculty, staff, and students,” shared Orso. “I eagerly anticipate collaborating with this remarkable community and industry partners to guarantee student success, propel innovation, broaden research possibilities, and enhance the college’s influence on the state and beyond.”
Orso will replace Stephan Durham, who has acted as interim dean since June 1, 2024. Durham will remain as interim dean until July 1, at which point he will revert to his roles as Juneau Construction Company Professor in Civil Engineering and assistant dean for student success and outreach.
“Dr. Durham has displayed outstanding leadership within the College of Engineering throughout this transition, and I am thankful for his enthusiasm and commitment to the college’s students, staff, faculty, alumni, and partners,” noted Hu. “He has preserved a robust foundation that will enable Dr. Orso to build upon the college’s impressive legacy of excellence.”
An advisory committee comprising 18 members, chaired by Matthew R. Auer, dean of the School of Public and International Affairs, assisted in identifying finalists for the position. The committee received support from the UGA Search Group.
The article Alex Orso named dean of UGA’s College of Engineering first appeared on UGA Today.