The University of Maryland announced Wednesday that it has appointed a new president.
The University System of Maryland Board of Regents appointed Darryll J. Pines to succeed Wallace Loh. Pines’ appointment is effective July 1, and he will be the 34th president of the University of Maryland, College Park.
Pines has been the A. James Clark School of Engineering dean for the past 11 years. He has been with the university for 25 years, starting as an assistant professor in 1995.
He later became chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering from 2006 to 2009.
Achievements during his tenure as dean include improving teaching in fundamental undergraduate courses, raising student retention, success in student competitions, and placing emphasis in sustainability in engineering, among others, the university said in a news release.
.@Univ_System_MD Board of Regents Appoints Darryll J. Pines as President of University of Maryland, College Park: https://t.co/aXajlXU8ih pic.twitter.com/dRy2y3r0q0
— UMD Right Now (@UMDRightNow) February 13, 2020
“He knows intimately the strengths of the faculty, the energy of the students, and the circle of legislative and philanthropic support both in the State of Maryland and beyond. I can’t think of a better person to build on the excellence at the university and take it to even higher levels,” Board of Regents Chair Linda Gooden said in a statement.
Loh’s retirement was set for June 2019, but it was delayed for a year because it was taking longer to find a new president.
Loh announced his retirement in 2018, following the death of 19-year-old old football player Jordan McNair, which created a lot of controversy and led to the resignation of several school leaders and staff.
