Olin College

Richard K. Miller was appointed the President and first employee of the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in 1999, where he also holds an appointment as Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He served as Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Iowa from 1992-1999, and spent the previous 17 years on the engineering faculties at the University of Southern California (where he held the position of Associate Dean for Academic Affairs) and the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dr. Miller's research interests are in structural dynamics and nonlinear mechanics with application to earthquake engineering and spacecraft structural design. He is the author or co-author of about 100 reviewed journal articles and other technical publications. His research interests are in nonlinear dynamic phenomena such as vibroimpact of adjacent structures during earthquakes, elastic wave propagation in frictionally bonded solids, stability and deformation in wrinkling membranes, active control of large civil structures, and dynamic identification of hysteretic structures. His work in spacecraft structures includes the design of large precision deployable truss antenna structures, the design of large inflatable reflectors, and the accurate analysis of the large deformation of articulated trusses during deployment. He has been a consultant to several companies including The Aerospace Corporation, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Hughes Aircraft Company (now Raytheon Company), and Astro Aerospace Corporation (now Northrop Grumman Corporation), where he made contributions to the Heliogyro, Solares, Mast Flight Experiment, Milstar, Mobile Transporter, and other projects.

Dr. Miller has won five teaching awards at two universities, received the Legacy award from the College of Engineering at the University of Iowa, and was recognized in 2006 by the Mass High Tech journal as an All Star for his work in leading the establishment of Olin College. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Stanley Consultants, Inc., and serves on the Board of Trustees of Babson and Olin Colleges. He has also served as the chair of the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Advisory Committee and on several advisory committees for the National Academy of Engineering, Harvard University, and other institutions.  In addition, he has served as a consultant to the World Bank in the establishment of new academic institutions. He is a member of AIAA, ASME, ASCE, ASEE, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, and Sigma Xi. A native Californian, Dr. Miller earned his B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1971 from the University of California, Davis, where he received the 2002 Distinguished Engineering Alumnus Award. In 1972, he earned his M.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  In 1976 he earned his Ph.D. in Applied Mechanics from the California Institute of Technology.

Download President's Miller Curriculum Vitae