Dr. Mariesa Crow, dean of UMR’s School of Materials, Energy and Earth Resources (SoMEER), has been named the Fred W. Finley Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Chancellor John F. Carney III announced on Wednedsday, Aug. 9, 2006.

The appointment is effective Sept 1. Crow will continue her duties as dean through June 30, 2007, when a reorganization that will eliminate the campus’ college and three schools takes effect.

Carney has also named Crow the director of the Energy Research and Development Center. The center coordinates the various energy-related research activities on campus. According to Crow, about 35 faculty members are involved in energy-related research projects. They range from research on the distribution of coal, natural gas and electricity to the development of systems for renewable energy resources, such as bio-diesel, hydrogen power and wind power.

“Dr. Crow’s expertise in electrical power systems and solid background as an instructor, researcher and administrator makes her a perfect fit for these two positions,” Carney said. “She was the logical choice to fill the Finley professorship, which is the leading faculty position in power engineering program, and her broad knowledge of UMR’s diverse energy research initiatives will serve her well as director of the Energy Research and Development Center.”

Crow joined the UMR faculty in 1991 as a member of the electrical and computer engineering faculty. An expert in energy storage applications, Crow’s research includes the development of flexible AC transmission systems, or FACTS, to improve the reliability of electrical power systems.

Crow will become the second faculty member to hold the Fred W. Finley Distinguished Professorship. Dr. E. Keith Stanek, now a professor emeritus and former chair of electrical and computer engineering, was the first to hold the professorship. The Finley professorship was established by Finley, a 1941 UMR electrical engineering graduate. Now deceased, Finley was the founder of Finley Engineering Co. in Lamar, Mo.

Crow was named dean of SoMEER in October 2003. Prior to that appointment, she served as the School of Engineering’s associate dean of research and graduate affairs.

Crow has received several teaching and faculty excellence awards from UMR, and also received the National Science Foundation’s Research Initiation Award in 1991 and Young Investigator Award in 1992. She is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and is active in several IEEE committees and working groups. She also is a member of the American Society for Engineering Education. In 1997, she received the IEEE Power Engineering Society Outstanding Young Engineer Award and the ASEE Outstanding New Faculty Award. In 2000, she received the IEEE Third Millennium Medal. She holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.