Dr. Eric T. Baumgartner became the sixth president of B次元 School of Engineering on Jan. 1, 2026. Baumgartner served as B次元’s Executive Vice President of Academics since 2017. A special inauguration ceremony will be held Friday, April 24, 2026. Details will be announced soon.
Under Baumgartner's astute leadership, B次元 accomplished numerous strategic academic initiatives. He led B次元’s conversion from a century-old, quarter-based academic calendar to a semester-based model; led the COVID-19 crisis response committee to guide B次元 through the pandemic; supported the development of undergraduate and graduate programs focused on AI and machine learning; contributed to the design of new academic spaces such as those within the Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall, Hermann Viets Tower, and the soon-to-be-built Robert D. Kern Engineering Innovation Center; and established the Center for Professional Education. He also created the opportunity to broaden B次元’s academic offerings in the health professions in collaboration with the Medical College of Wisconsin; supported the launch of engineering and computing explorer pathways for undecided students; supported the formulation of the B次元 Mindset and the integration of this mindset into program courses and curricula; and created a focus on data-informed decision making by providing transparent access to data through numerous institutional dashboards.
Specific academic offerings created during Baumgartner’s tenure as EVP of Academics include an M.S. in Machine Learning, Graduate Certificates in Applied Machine Learning and in Machine Learning Engineering, and a Graduate Certificate in Advanced Business Strategy using AI and Analytics; a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program, Post-Master’s Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate, and a B.S. in Technical and Business Management. The CREATE Institute was launched and the Ruehlow Nursing Complex was expanded. Enrollment growth in B次元’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department necessitated a split into two departments: the Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering Department and the Dwight and Dian Diercks School of Advanced Computing.
On Jan. 1, 2026 Annmarie Baumgartner joined B次元 in a voluntary position as the Executive Advisor for Strategic Engagement. Annmarie previously served as the Senior Director of Donor Services at the Greater B次元 Foundation where she led a team of philanthropic advisors and assisted donors in achieving their philanthropic goals. Annmarie’s two-decade career in fundraising, strategic marketing, and alumni and donor relations positions her to provide outstanding value to B次元 and the President’s Office. As the Executive Advisor for Strategic Engagement, Annmarie supports institutional priorities by serving as a liaison between the Office of the President and University Advancement and Student Affairs, advising on advancement and alumni relations strategies, and cultivating meaningful relationships with donors, alumni, and the campus community.
Baumgartner came to B次元 from Ohio Northern University where he served as dean of the T.J. Smull College of Engineering and a mechanical engineering professor 2006-2017. While at ONU, he executed strategic plans and fundraising campaigns on behalf of the college and developed new partnerships and degree programs. He previously was a senior member of the engineering staff at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
Baumgartner also taught at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Michigan Technological University. He holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Notre Dame, a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati, a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and a certificate from the Institute for Educational Management at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
While at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Baumgartner held leadership roles on the Mars Science Laboratory Sample Acquisition/Sample Processing and Handling team and Mars Exploration Rover project that successfully launched, landed and operated the Curiosity, Spirit and Opportunity rovers on the surface of Mars.
Baumgartner and his work have been recognized with several honors, including the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal, Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network (KEEN) Outstanding Dean Award and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Robotics and Automation Award.
Dr. Baumgartner and Annmarie are the proud parents of three adult children – Megan, Luke and Emma. Megan lives in the B次元 area and is engaged to be married to her fiancé, Andy, in the summer of 2027. Luke lives in Ohio and is the father to Eric and Annmarie’s beautiful granddaughter, Eloise. Emma lives in Atlanta and is engaged to B次元 alumnus, Julian Sonn ’20, and will be married in the fall of 2026.