Michigan Tech Names New Vice President for Research
Michigan Technological University announces the appointment of Andrew Barnard as vice president for research.
Barnard, who currently serves as professor and director of the Graduate Program in Acoustics at Penn State University, will begin leading Michigan Tech’s Vice President for Research Office on July 1. His appointment comes after an extensive national search chaired by Andrew Storer, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
“I thank the search committee for their outstanding efforts at recruiting Michigan Tech’s next vice president for research,” said Michigan Tech President Rick Koubek. “I am delighted to welcome Andrew Barnard back to campus. His experience in advancing scholarship and entrepreneurship will help Michigan Tech continue on our trajectory of growth in the research arena.”
Tech’s current vice president for research, Dave Reed, will retire in June after holding the position since 2001. Under Reed’s leadership, the University has experienced nearly three decades of research growth, creating multiple research centers, institutes and initiatives. Over the same span of time, Michigan Tech’s research presence has expanded into the Lower Peninsula, and research expenditures have more than tripled, reaching $103.8 million in fiscal year 2023 — the University’s highest total ever.
Prior to joining the Penn State College of Engineering, Barnard was an associate professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Tech. He was the recipient of the University’s 2019 Distinguished Teaching Award, and also co-advised the Strategic Education through Naval Systems Experiences (SENSE) Enterprise.
After his departure from MTU, he remained an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics.
“I’m thrilled to rejoin Michigan Tech as the next vice president for research,” said Barnard. “Michigan Tech has a growing and impactful research portfolio, world-class faculty and first-rate students. I’m honored to provide leadership for the next phase of Michigan Tech’s research growth, following the impressive strides made under Dave Reed. I’d like to thank President Koubek, the search committee and the campus community for this opportunity to serve a great institution.”
Barnard earned his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 2002 and 2004, respectively. He received a Ph.D. in Acoustics from Penn State in 2010. He is board certified by the Institute for Noise Control Engineering and is a certified LabVIEW developer.
Before joining the faculty at Michigan Tech in 2014, Barnard was a research associate at the Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State for eight years. His research interests include the commercialization of thermoacoustic thin-film loudspeakers made from carbon nanotubes; industrial noise control and building acoustics; noise control methods for underwater electro-mechanical machines; through-ice acoustic propagation and on-ice source localization and tracking using machine learning; and the implementation of maritime autonomous vehicles in commercial and defense applications.