Syracuse University

Eric F. Spina

Vice Chancellor & Provost

Eric F. Spina is Syracuse University's chief academic officer, holding the dual title of Vice Chancellor and Provost. Prior to his appointment in January 2007, he had spent almost 20 years at Syracuse in teaching, research and administration and a brief term as Interim Vice Chancellor and Provost. He had been the Douglas D. Danforth Dean of the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science.

He leads academic efforts to create new, collaborative relationships and synergies that facilitate the University's dynamic and effective pursuit of its vision, Scholarship in Action. These collaborations include partnerships involving every school and college at SU and hundreds of organizations and individuals from the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the City of Syracuse, across Central New York, and in every locale where the University maintains a presence. The goal of these partnerships is to optimize opportunities for research and creative activities by the faculty, energize education for students, and make a difference in the world. In spring 2009, the University Senate resoundingly endorsed the importance of this bold vision for the faculty when this institution-wide deliberative body unanimously adopted changes to the faculty manual that provide rigorous means to incorporate public scholarship into the tenure and promotion processes.

Spina works with the Chancellor and her Cabinet to set and support the University's strategic decision making, including budget, human resources, and other key functions. He fosters the continuing development of broad and deep collaborative, academic relationships with neighboring institutions including the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry and SUNY Upstate Medical University. Spina also plays a key role in framing and cultivating reciprocal relationships with private sector partners, including JPMorgan Chase, IBM, and Welch Allyn.

First as Associate Dean and then as Dean of the L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science (LCS), Spina was dedicated to improving engineering education. His academic vision centered on leveraging LCS's strong research traditions with the diverse academic offerings across Syracuse University to give engineering graduates a competitive edge in an increasingly demanding global marketplace.
A mechanical and aerospace engineer by training, Spina has more than 20 years of research experience in experimental fluid mechanics, ranging from the fundamentals of simple canonical flows to flow control methods. The holder of two U.S. patents, Spina has published more than 30 refereed archival and conference papers and has edited books and conference proceedings. His most important work was on the physics of high-speed turbulent boundary layers, which culminated in a paper in the Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics.

As principal or co-principal investigator, Spina has received extensive research funding from NASA and NSF in addition to two National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates site awards, an NSF Leadership in Laboratory Development grant, and several projects that have resulted in innovative educational partnerships with industry.

Since joining the Syracuse University faculty in 1988, Spina has served in a wide range of leadership positions. In addition to his teaching and administrative responsibilities, he has taken a leading role in developing Syracuse University and New York State initiatives in indoor environmental quality and environmental quality systems. He was deputy director of the Environmental Quality Systems Center, a New York STAR (Strategically Targeted Academic Research) Center at Syracuse University, and served on the board of the Center of Excellence in Environmental & Energy Systems, a state- and federally-funded technology transfer initiative designed to attract millions of research dollars to the New York State economy. Spina's community leadership has included past membership on the boards of the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce and the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology.

In recognition of his work, the University awarded Spina one of its highest honors-the Syracuse University Chancellor's Citation for Outstanding Contribution to the University's Academic Programs. Spina has also been honored by NASA and the National Science Foundation and has received numerous department, college and University teaching awards.

Dr. Spina received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and master's and doctoral degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Princeton University.  He and his wife, Karen, have two daughters.