The Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering is pleased to announce the appointment of Warren Dixon, Ph.D., as its new interim dean. Dixon brings to this role a distinguished record of leadership, research excellence, and service to the engineering community.
He joined the University of Florida in 2004 from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and previously served as Chair and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He is widely recognized for his pioneering research in adaptive control of uncertain nonlinear systems, including recent breakthroughs in deep learning for autonomous systems, and for mentoring the next generation of engineering scholars. Applications of his work span a wide variety of areas from defense and national security objectives to robotic rehabilitation for individuals with movement disorders.
His impactful work has earned multiple best paper awards, and a variety of early- and mid-career honors by several technical societies. He is a Fellow of both the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). Dixon is also committed to service, including being recognized by the Air Force Commander’s Public Service Award for his efforts with the Air Force Science Advisory Board, and he has held various editorial and leadership roles within his technical societies, including serving as the Director of Operations for the IEEE Control Systems Society Board of Governors.
With record-breaking research expenditures, rising national rankings, and a strong college interim strategic plan charting the path forward, Dixon brings steady, experienced leadership to the college while advancing its mission of excellence in education, research, and innovation.
In response to recent funding cuts in basic science and healthcare, Dixon is focused on expanding faculty training and mentorship programs. These efforts aim to diversify the research portfolio and foster new collaborations with government and industry partners, strengthening the college’s research foundation for long-term sustainability and growth.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Dixon to the Gator Engineering community!
Q&A: Get to Know Dr. Dixon:
What excites you most about serving as interim dean of the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering?
The HWCOE is a large college with so many people with diverse insights who make unique impactful contributions to our community and society at large. I am most excited about deepening my relationships with the wonderful people of the college and learning about their amazing discoveries and innovations. I am also excited by the prospect of working with a dedicated leadership team to support our faculty, staff and students.
How will your background in control systems and interdisciplinary research inform your approach to leadership during this transition?
Control systems research is about knowing a desired end-goal and then developing and executing actions to achieve the goal. My particular research focuses on how to develop such actions with little feedback and with significant uncertainty. So, I think that maps well to our current climate.
Though my degrees have all been in electrical engineering, I have been blessed to broaden my perspectives working in mechanical and aerospace engineering, while collaborating with multiple other departments, institutes and colleges. I am a lifelong learner, and I enjoy deepening my understanding of new directions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Becoming more agile in our research (expanding application domains and toolsets) is a pathway to gain robustness against uncertain funding. Towards this end, I see new opportunities to forge stronger relationships with new external stakeholders, to further engage in multi-disciplinary research leveraging the strength of our institutes and developing new relationships with our peers across the university.
What are your immediate priorities for the college as we prepare for the next chapter?
We are in an uncertain and turbulent time for basic science funding. Technologies like AI are challenging traditional ways of teaching, learning, working and doing research. Such dynamic environments provide new opportunities for rapid advancement if we are prepared. Along with ensuring we are properly resourced by working with industrial partners, alumni, and other stakeholders, my goal is to invest in our people with training and mentoring so we are well equipped and poised to define how these landscapes will change and be at the forefront when they do.
Strengthening partnerships with industry, government and alumni will be essential to expanding our impact. These relationships can open doors for collaborative research, workforce development, and real-world learning experiences for our students.
Engineering continues to be one of the most sought-after disciplines, and with UF’s stellar and growing global reputation, we are experiencing a steady rise in enrollment. As we welcome more students, it is imperative that we provide each of them with the support, mentorship, and opportunities they need to thrive. This means expanding access to experiential learning, strengthening pathways into engineering, and embracing innovative, personalized approaches to education that meet students where they are and help them reach their full potential.
How do you plan to support faculty, staff, and students in maintaining momentum across research and academic programs?
Maintaining and building on our momentum requires a shared commitment to excellence, and my role is to create the conditions that allow our faculty, staff, and students to thrive. For faculty, I plan to continue investments in research infrastructure, which will include expanded mentoring that focuses on becoming more agile researchers with expanded opportunities by leveraging our institutes and the multi-disciplinary strength of UF. I also want to ensure that we recognize and reward excellence in both research and teaching. For staff, I’m committed to fostering a culture of respect and professional growth. Staff are the backbone of our operations, and I want to ensure they have the resources, recognition, and development opportunities they need to feel empowered and valued.
As a department chair, I saw significant efficiency gains by our staff as they embraced AI-based tools. I encouraged their use and tried to foster a culture of learning and adapting to such technologies and tools. I aspire to create an agile culture among faculty and staff where we are aware of and participate in opportunities to learn how to leverage AI methods to accelerate our efficiency and knowledge discovery.
For students, we’ll continue to enhance academic advising, mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities. Emerging technologies enabled by AI provide new tools for individualized education and student advising outcomes. Such opportunities may alter how we engage with students or how we resource and support educational outcomes. We stand at a threshold with an opportunity to innovate and define these new pathways. Here again, training, mentoring, and disseminating best practices can yield sweeping opportunities.
What message would you like to share with alumni, partners, and supporters of Gator Engineering?
As I step into the role of interim dean, I am filled with gratitude and excitement for the journey ahead. Our college stands on a strong foundation built by visionary leaders, dedicated faculty, and the unwavering support of our community.
Together, we will continue to elevate our mission—fostering innovation, empowering students, and advancing knowledge that transforms lives. Your partnership is vital to this journey. With your continued support, we will shape a future defined by excellence, impact, and opportunity for all.
Let’s move forward—boldly, together.