SDSU Engineering, PSFA Deans Appointed
Eugene Olvesky and Peggy Shannon will serve as deans of the College of Engineering and the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, respectively.
Two high-level appointments have been announced at San Diego State University: Eugene Olevsky will serve as the permanent dean of the College of Engineering and Peggy Shannon will serve as the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts dean.
Interim Provost and Senior Vice President Joseph F. Johnson Jr. said Olevsky and Shannon arrive in their roles “at a crucial time in SDSU’s history, as we are preparing to embark on our strategic planning process.”
Eugene Olevsky
Distinguished Professor Olevsky joined the SDSU faculty in 1998 and, since March 2018, has served as interim dean. In his interim role, Olevsky has provided leadership and vision for the College of Engineering during a time of increased local and global demand for a highly skilled and diverse workforce.
To the permanent role, Olevsky brings extensive knowledge and experience in administrative oversight and decision-making, doctoral program development, fund development, private partner engagement, teaching and research.
As a scientific researcher, Olevsky has published 10 books, 245 articles in refereed journals and holds nine patents or patent applications. He has also secured more than 90 grants in the United States and internationally, amounting to more than $22 million, and has supervised more than 100 students, post-doctoral students and visiting researchers.
Olevsky, who has been honored by SDSU as an Albert W. Johnson Research Lecturer and Distinguished Professor, is a Fellow of the American Ceramic Society, a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a Fellow of ASM International and a Humboldt Fellow.
Peggy Shannon
Shannon is professor and chair of the School of Performance at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, where she has served since 2011.
She brings more than two decades of experience and expertise in multidisciplinary and international research, fund development, instruction and directing, having directed plays and musicals at numerous professional theaters across the United States. In addition to her appointment at Ryerson University, Shannon has served as a professor and administrator at the University of Southern California, the University of Washington and the University of California, Davis.
A Fulbright Senior Specialist, Shannon has received numerous other U.S. and international awards for teaching and leadership, including an Arts Leadership Award from the Arts & Business Council. Also, the Greek Ministers of Culture and Education and other government entities of Greece have recognized Shannon for her contributions to education and culture.
Shannon holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in theatre directing from the University of Washington and a Ph.D. in drama and theatre from the Royal Holloway University of London.
