Stanfill Named Tickle College of Engineering Assistant Dean
Keith Stanfill has been hired by the Tickle College of Engineering as the first Edwards Assistant Dean and Director of Integrated Engineering Design.
“We are pleased to welcome Keith to our college and are looking forward to the ideas he will bring and the progress he can help us achieve,” said interim dean Lynne Parker. “His appointment is an exciting moment for us to enhance opportunities for our students.”
The Edwards position was created to look for collaborative opportunities that vertically integrate the work of freshmen through seniors as well as horizontally across the college’s seven departments and beyond to other colleges at UT and external industry partners.
Stanfill said his first major undertaking will be to meet the stakeholders for the program, including UT faculty and staff, corporate partners, alumni, and students. He believes that it is mission critical to understand their needs and wants and was excited to get started.
“When I read the job description for this position the hair on the back of my neck stood up in anticipation and excitement,” said Stanfill. “I’ve only had a similar reaction one other time, and it led to my 19 years at the University of Florida.
“It is clear to me that the Tickle College of Engineering is committed to a cultural shift towards more interdisciplinary design experiences for their undergraduates.”
In his new role, Stanfill will help enhance student project, design, and research experiences by coordinating with the directors of the Cook Grand Challenge Honors and Jerry E. Stoneking engageTM Engineering Fundamentals programs.
The position will also help coordinate and distribute space in the design studio of the forthcoming Engineering Complex as well as provide significant input to the associate dean for research and facilities for the overall space in the building.
He credited former dean—now interim chancellor—Wayne Davis for further cementing his desire to come to UT and take on the new role.
“His perspective resonated with me as I have thought about how leaving a legacy takes on more and more significance as we progress in our careers and lives,” said Stanfill. “This is part of his legacy, and I really want to help Dr. Davis and the team he built in the college make this program a reality.”
At Florida, Stanfill served as director of the Integrated Product and Process Design program. He was also a member of UF’s Engineering Innovation Institute, which was developed as a way to promote collaboration across the college, with a focus on entrepreneurship and impact.
Stanfill earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate from Florida in 1985, ’91, and ’95, respectively.
The Edwards Assistant Dean and Director of Integrated Engineering Design position was named for Tom (BS/ME, ’72) and Elaine Edwards for their most recent transformative support.
More About Keith Stanfill
Keith Stanfill became the Edwards Assistant Dean and Director of Integrated Engineering Design on July 1, 2018. He and his wife, Linda, are avid sports enthusiasts and enjoy spending time outdoors. A self-described “soccer nut,” he said that he and his wife also enjoy golf, tennis, and college sports. They have one daughter, Susan, who is majoring in mechanical engineering at Florida. She also has ties to East Tennessee, having served two stints as an intern at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.