UNT Names Pioneering Researcher, Inventor as New College of Engineering Dean

In his new post, Paul S. Krueger will oversee the college’s local and global partnerships and its more than 24 degree programs in areas ranging from biomedical engineering and computer science and engineering to information technology, electrical engineering, and materials science and engineering.

Paul S. Krueger has been named the new dean of the College of Engineering at The University of North Texas, effective June 1.

“The College of Engineering is home to some of UNT’s fastest growing programs, and I am excited to see the college continue to thrive under Dr. Krueger’s leadership,” Provost Michael McPherson said in a statement. “His strategic vision for the future of STEM education and his ability to build strong relationships — both within the university community and with partners all over the world — will create extraordinary opportunities for our students and faculty.”

Krueger succeeds Shengli Fu, who served as interim dean since July 2022.

UNT said its College of Engineering is a leader in research and education, with an expansive research enterprise that includes additive manufacturing, cybersecurity, and bioengineering, as well as government-funded initiatives in national defense, response analysis, and nuclear waste storage.

Overseeing partnerships and degree programs

In his new post, Krueger will oversee the college’s local and global partnerships and its more-than 24 degree programs in areas ranging from biomedical engineering and computer science and engineering to information technology, electrical engineering, and materials science and engineering, UNT said.

Krueger comes to Denton from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where most recently he was interim dean of the Lyle School of Engineering. He has been a faculty member in SMU’s mechanical engineering department since 2002 and served as department chair from 2019 to 2022.

“I am thrilled and honored to be joining UNT as the next dean of the College of Engineering,” Krueger said in a statement. “Engineering at UNT has developed into an amazing enterprise, with faculty and students conducting next-generation research that has the potential to impact not only their fields, but the world. It is a privilege to be part of the diverse UNT community and to lead the college in elevating its standing and impact in the North Texas region and beyond.”

Expert in squid locomotion

Krueger is a recipient of the Rolf D. Buhler Memorial Award in Aeronautics, the Richard Bruce Chapman Memorial Award for distinguished research in hydrodynamics, the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers North Texas Section Young Engineer of the Year Award, and the Ford Senior Research Fellowship.

UNT said his research spans a range of topics related to fluid flows, including unsteady hydrodynamics and aerodynamics, vortex dynamics, bio-fluid mechanics, bio-morphic propulsion, fluid-boundary and fluid-particle interactions, and fluid processes in additive manufacturing.

Krueger has conducted pioneering work related to the physics of squid locomotion, including development of a robotic squid (Robosquid) that was featured in a Science Flash Exhibit at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.

He is the inventor or co-inventor on several issued patents and pending patents related to nontraditional propulsion, 3D printing, and drag reduction, the university said.