New UCI engineering dean comes from MIT

UCI has hired one of the prominent minds at MIT to lead the Henry Samueli School of Engineering, starting Sept. 1, the school announced Thursday.

Rafael L. Bras will take over as the dean of the school this year, leaving behind his positions at his alma mater MIT, where he served as a professor, the associate director of the Center for Global Change Science and director of the Terrascope freshman alternative program.

Bras has been published for his work in soil-vegetation-atmosphere system modeling, as well as other work, and has written more than 170 refereed journal publications.

Bras replaces former Dean Nicolaos Alexopoulos, who will retire from his position June 30 following the completion of his second five-year term.

Bras’ salary will be $330,000.

— Daniel Tedford