Dr. David A. Puleo named provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at UAH

Dr. David A. Puleo

Courtesy David Puleo

Following an extensive national search, Dr. David A. Puleo has been named provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), effective Aug. 1, 2022. Reporting directly to the president, the provost is the chief academic officer of the university.

“I am excited to announce that Dr. Puleo will be joining our leadership team here at UAH as our new provost,” said UAH Interim President Chuck Karr. “His broad-ranging administrative, academic, and technical experience, as well as his track record of research expertise, all make for a wonderful fit for our mission at UAH. I believe his commitment to student, faculty, and staff academic support and collaboration will positively impact the entire university community and our vision as an institution. I am looking forward to working closely with him as we continue to grow UAH as a model of an innovative 21st-century university.”

Dr. Puleo currently serves as dean of the School of Engineering at the University of Mississippi (UM). Prior to joining UM, he served as associate dean for research and graduate studies and a professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Kentucky. Over the course of his career he moved through the faculty ranks; was a productive investigator; mentored high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, medical and dental students and residents, and faculty; was also a center director and department chair; and has been externally engaged with industry and fundraising. In his various administrative roles, Dr. Puleo and his teams increased undergraduate and graduate student enrollment, increased the number of underrepresented and female engineering students, facilitated increased research expenditures, added new programs and inter-institutional academic partnerships, and oversaw new capital projects, among other accomplishments.

“It's an honor to join UAH, and I’m grateful to Interim President Karr and the search committee for this fantastic opportunity,” said Dr. David (Dave) Puleo. “The university has a remarkable history, and I’m excited to be a part of the next chapter. I look forward to working with a great team to advance the university’s mission and benefit Huntsville, the nation, and beyond.”

Dr. Puleo earned a B.S. and Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He has written over 120 refereed journal articles, co-authored a textbook, and been published in several other books and periodicals. As a researcher in the area of regenerative biomaterials, Dr. Puleo has served as principal investigator and investigator on federal, state, and industry grants and contracts exceeding $13M. His research has led to more than 15 intellectual property disclosures, patent applications, and patents, and is associated with two start-up companies. Dr. Puleo is an elected fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Society, and International Union of Societies for Biomaterials Science and Engineering, and National Academy of Inventors.

While appropriate members of The Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms and conditions of this proposed appointment, the financial terms remain subject to approval by The Board of Trustees.