Following a nationwide search, the University of Georgia has appointed Alessandro “Alex” Orso as the new dean of the College of Engineering, effective July 1.
Orso currently serves as a professor in the College of Computing at the Georgia Institute of Technology and as director of Georgia Tech’s Scientific Software Engineering Center. He previously served as associate dean for off-campus and special initiatives in the College of Computing at Georgia Tech from 2020 to 2025 and was interim dean of the college during the 2023-2024 academic year.
“I am excited to welcome Dr. Orso to the University of Georgia as the next dean of the College of Engineering,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “Over the course of his career, Dr. Orso has distinguished himself as an exceptional teacher, researcher and academic leader. I am confident he will lead our outstanding College of Engineering to even greater heights in the coming years.”
An expert in software engineering, Orso’s research focuses on software testing, program analysis and debugging. His work includes the development of techniques for improving software reliability, security and trustworthiness and the validation of those techniques on real-world systems. His research has attracted funding from a variety of government agencies and industry partners including Google, IBM and Microsoft.
In 2021, Orso was instrumental in securing $11 million in philanthropic funding from Schmidt Futures to establish the Scientific Software Engineering Center at Georgia Tech. He serves as the inaugural director of the center, which is developing new methodologies to improve scientific software and train a new generation of software engineers.
“Dr. Orso demonstrates a compelling vision for advancing excellence in the College of Engineering,” said S. Jack Hu, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. “His deep commitment to instructional innovation and student success, impressive record in research and innovative approaches to building partnerships make him an ideal leader for the next phase of the college.”
Orso is a distinguished member of the Association for Computing Machinery and a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
Beyond his research, Orso has demonstrated a commitment to exceptional instruction and innovation in the classroom. He was an early advocate of Georgia Tech’s Online Master of Science in Computer Science program, and he continues to teach a virtual software engineering course he created in 2014, when the program launched.
Orso earned his doctorate in computer science and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering from Politecnico di Milano in Italy.
As dean, Orso will lead the UGA College of Engineering’s academic, research and outreach programs. Founded in 2012, the college is home to 120 faculty and 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
The college now includes four schools: the School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering; the School of Computing; the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering. The School of Computing is jointly administered by the College of Engineering and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.
Research funding in the College of Engineering has charted impressive gains, growing more than 300% in the past five years. The college includes six centers and institutes, including the Institute for Resilient Infrastructure Systems, the New Materials Institute and the Engineering Education Transformations Institute. College faculty also lead the Georgia Network for Electric Mobility, a consortium of universities, government agencies and industry partners working to advance research and development in electric mobility innovation in Georgia and beyond.
“The College of Engineering at UGA is on an impressive upward trajectory — a testament to the passion, dedication and commitment to excellence of its faculty, staff and students,” said Orso. “I look forward to collaborating with this outstanding community and industry partners to ensure student success, drive innovation, expand research opportunities and enhance the college’s impact on the state and beyond.”
Orso succeeds Stephan Durham, who has served as interim dean since June 1, 2024. Durham will continue to serve as interim dean until July 1, when he will return to his roles as Juneau Construction Company Professor in Civil Engineering and assistant dean for student success and outreach.
“Dr. Durham has demonstrated exceptional leadership of the College of Engineering during this transition, and I am grateful for his enthusiasm and dedication to the college’s students, staff, faculty, alumni and partners,” said Hu. “He has maintained a strong foundation that will allow Dr. Orso to build upon the college’s impressive record of excellence.”
An 18-member search advisory committee chaired by Matthew R. Auer, dean of the School of Public and International Affairs, helped identify finalists for the position. The committee was assisted by the UGA Search Group.
