This fund recognizes the legacy of Dr. George E. Dieter, Jr. by supporting an annual lecture series in the A. James Clark School of Engineering. Dr. Dieter was professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, Glenn L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering, and dean of the A. James Clark School of Engineering from 1977-94. He passed away in 2020 at the age of 92.
Dr. Dieter was a visionary who put the Clark School on its trajectory towards excellence: He believed in the school and saw its promise. He believed in our students, faculty, and staff and saw the energy they could bring to engineering. He put those beliefs to work.
Under his leadership, word of the Clark School’s excellence grew and so did student enrollment. He made competition a priority and encouraged students to take part in national engineering competitions. He launched the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute and started the Board of Visitors, where he invited distinguished alumni to advise us and help keep the Clark School’s classes and programming on the leading edge of our profession.
He wrote two seminal books: Mechanical Metallurgy, now in its third edition and one of the standard texts we use to teach engineering; and Engineering Design (co-authored with Linda C. Schmidt), now in its sixth edition and which President Pines described as “legendary.” In 1993, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for “contributions to engineering education in the areas of materials design and processing.”
Dr. Dieter never stopped learning, leading, or giving. His life is a legacy of service. The success of engineering education—at the Clark School and more broadly—is paved in part with his vision, foresight, and ambition.