Mesa Man of 2004 named to guide Polytechnic campus

As part of the reorganization announced by ASU in December, the appointment of Albert McHenry as the new vice president and executive vice provost of ASU’s Polytechnic campus became official. McHenry was serving in an interim role, guiding the Polytechnic campus since July 1.

“Dr. McHenry was clearly the best choice for this position,” says Elizabeth D. Capaldi, ASU’s executive vice president and university provost. “He has a long history at ASU, and he is well regarded by the Polytechnic campus, the university and the East Valley community.”

As executive vice provost, McHenry will oversee campus operations in coordination with university officers, as well as ensure that all programs and activities are aligned with the mission and identity of the campus.

“I plan to continue to execute President Michael Crow’s vision of building the campus, which I embrace fully and is currently being implemented,” McHenry says. “My goal is to help move programs and facilities forward and involve Mesa and the entire East Valley community with the campus and its development plans.”

Before leading the Polytechnic campus, McHenry was dean of the College of Science and Technology at ASU for nearly 10 years. A major component of his university life has focused on the building of access and academic success for students through a $9 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate program.

During his tenure as dean, enrollment in the college increased nearly 55 percent. His college has grown from four academic units to six, with the implementation of a new engineering department and a computing studies division. As part of the campus’s five-year plan, he lead the transformation of the college, bringing together all of the engineering, technology and science programs offered at the Polytechnic campus under the College of Science and Technology.

McHenry has spent 30 years with ASU, where he has held administrative and professor positions. Before being named dean of the college, he was the director of the School of Technology at ASU for three years, and chair of the Department of Electronics and Engineering Technology for 11 years.

He has held memberships in the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and has received numerous society awards. McHenry has served as the chair of the Engineering Technology Council and as a member of the 1997-1998 board of directors. McHenry serves as vice president for public affairs and is a member of the board of directors of the society. McHenry was also awarded the membership rank of Fellow at the 2001 ASEE Annual Conference.

In 2002, he received the James H. McGraw Award from the ASEE for his contributions to engineering technology, and in 1995 was awarded the Frederick J. Berger Award from ASEE for major contributions to the advancement of engineering technology education.

Aside from his professional affiliations and accolades, he has been committed to Mesa and the East Valley community. As a member of the economic advisory councils of several East Valley towns and cities, McHenry continues to be engaged in the economic and social development of the entire region. His consistent efforts in this area was recognized in 2004, when he was awarded the honor of Mesa’s Man of the Year, and in 2006, when he received the East Valley Partnership’s Dwight Patterson Lifetime Achievement Award.

He received his doctoral and master’s degrees from ASU and his bachelor’s degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La.