Daniel J. Cox, Ph.D., to serve as founding chair of Department of Manufacturing Engineering
Daniel J. Cox, Ph.D., has joined Georgia Southern University as the founding chair of the Department of Manufacturing Engineering in the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Information Technology. Georgia Southern University made history on Aug. 20, 2014, when the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia granted the University the first undergraduate manufacturing engineering degree program in the state of Georgia and southeast United States. The program began accepting students fall 2015.
Cox brings extensive experience in industry, research and academics as he begins his new role at Georgia Southern.
“Spending the first half of my career as a practicing manufacturing engineer has given me the perspective of industry, which I have continued to carry in all of my endeavors in academia,” said Cox. “As I transitioned from the private sector to academia, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to manage a research program focusing primarily on robotics. During my tenure at the University of North Florida, I strived to develop relationships with industry to create opportunities for my students. I look forward to continuing this tradition of industrial collaboration at Georgia Southern with the dynamic companies in the region. Together, we will help our students succeed in building the future of manufacturing engineering in the U.S.”
From Gainesville, Florida, Cox received his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with honors and a Master of Engineering degree from the University of Florida. In 1981, he began his career in manufacturing engineering when he joined the IBM Corporation in Boulder, Colorado, where he worked as a manufacturing engineer. In 1986, he was awarded the prestigious IBM Resident Study Program Award to attend doctoral studies at The University of Texas at Austin. He graduated with his doctorate in mechanical engineering with specialization in robotics from The University of Texas at Austin in 1992 where he also worked at the IBM Austin, Texas facility as a robotics and automation engineer until 1998.
He then joined the University of Texas at Austin as a research scientist and served as the associate director and program manager of the Robotics Research Group in his transition to academia. In 2001, he joined the faculty of the University of North Florida as professor of mechanical engineering. While at the University of North Florida, he initiated the Manufacturing Innovation Partnership program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation, to foster industry-academic collaboration. He remains very active in mentoring experiential learning projects for engineering students through collaboration with industry. His research and teaching interests are in the areas of robotics, automation and advanced manufacturing.
Cox is a member of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME).
Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers more than 125 degree programs serving approximately 20,500 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered and hands-on approach to education. GeorgiaSouthern.edu.
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