The University of Alabama in Huntsville has selected aerospace engineer and veteran higher education administrator Donald J. Leo as its next president, according to an announcement Tuesday from the University of Alabama System.

Leo will become UAH’s 11th president on June 1.

Leo brings more than three decades of higher education experience to Huntsville, including leadership roles at Ohio University, the University of Georgia, and Virginia Tech, according to the University of Alabama System.

At the University of Georgia, Leo served as the first permanent dean of the College of Engineering after being recruited in 2013 to help build the program. During his tenure, the university said enrollment and research expenditures quadrupled while the college added academic departments, expanded partnerships, increased giving, and renovated instructional and research facilities.

“Dr. Leo will build on Dr. Karr’s momentum in Huntsville. He has a strong record of establishing quality academic programs, expanding research capacity and fostering impactful partnerships,” said UA System Chancellor Sid J. Trant.

“Since its founding, UAH’s mission has been to be the strategic higher education partner for North Alabama. Now more than ever, this region deserves a dynamic, comprehensive, technology-focused institution, and Dr. Leo is uniquely positioned to lead UAH.”

Leo currently serves as executive vice president and provost at Ohio University, where he oversees nearly 300 academic programs serving more than 30,000 students.

“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as president of UAH at such a pivotal moment in its history, and I sincerely thank the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees for their confidence and trust,” said Leo.

“As an aerospace engineer with a deep appreciation for the impact of groundbreaking research, I am excited about the opportunity to lead UAH. I have always been drawn to organizations that can have a tremendous impact, and UAH’s location in the heart of a dynamic innovation corridor uniquely position it for unprecedented success.”

Before joining the University of Georgia, Leo spent more than a decade at Virginia Tech, where he worked as a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department and pursued research partnerships with federal agencies.

The University of Alabama System said Leo also previously served as a program manager for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, commonly known as DARPA, where he launched research programs focused on biologically inspired materials and defense-related technologies.

He also previously led Virginia Tech’s National Capital Region Operations, overseeing efforts to expand research partnerships in the Washington, D.C., region.

“Dr. Leo brings a thoughtful, results-driven approach to leadership and a clear understanding of the responsibility and opportunity that define The University of Alabama in Huntsville,” said UA System Board of Trustees President Pro Tempore Scott Phelps.

“His experience leading academic enterprises through growth, strengthening institutional focus and delivering measurable progress reflects the qualities we were seeking in UAH’s next president. The Board appreciates the leadership of Trustee Evelyn VanSant Mauldin and the presidential search advisory committee for their dedication in conducting a thorough and successful search.”

According to the University of Alabama System, Leo has authored or co-authored more than 200 research publications and wrote one of the first textbooks used in advanced engineering courses focused on smart materials.

His research has focused on active material systems, including electroactive polymers and biomolecular materials.

The university said Leo has been responsible for nearly $12 million in sponsored research funding and contributed to projects totaling more than $20 million during his career.

His honors include recognition as a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, and multiple Distinguished Alumnus Awards from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Leo earned doctorate and master’s degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering from the University at Buffalo and a bachelor’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

A native of Park Forest, Illinois, Leo and his wife, Jeannine, have two sons.

Sherri Blevins is a reporter for 256 Today.

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