The University of Tulsa has hired Geoffrey Orsak as its 18th president. Orsak, 48, will take office July 1.

Orsak, dean of the Bobby B. Lyle School of Engineering at Southern Methodist University, is a visionary administrator and concise communicator, according to a TU press release.

Geoffrey Orsak shares our vision for the next stage in the advancement of The University of Tulsa, said L. Duane Wilson, chairman of the TU presidential search committee in a prepared statement. His strategic insight and proven leadership will be tremendous assets, helping to drive TU to new levels of national distinction.

In a statement issued by the school, Orsak said: TU has an exceptional national reputation that far exceeds its size. And the civic engagement demonstrated by TU students, faculty, staff and alumni is inspiring and unmatched anywhere.

Orsak replaces TU President Steadman Upham, who announced last year that he was planning to retire from the schools top post. Upham plans to stay at the school in a teaching and research position.

Orsak is a graduate of Rice University, where he received his bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in electrical and computer engineering.

In the TU statement, Orsak said he was drawn to the school for many reasons, including high quality of its academics and the schools commitment to the community.

TU has an exceptional national reputation that far exceeds its size, Orsak said. And the civic engagement demonstrated by TU students, faculty, staff and alumni is inspiring and unmatched anywhere.

In 2006, the editors of EE Times magazine called Orsak a true pioneer and visionary and named him their first ever Educator of the Year in engineering and science.

According to his biography on the SMU website, Orsak is an expert in communications, signal processing, and information theory. He has been the lead researcher on approximately 30 projects funded by public and private grants and contracts.

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TU names Geoffrey Orsak as new president