Darryll J. Pines

Darryll J. Pines is the 34th president of the University of Maryland. He is also the Glenn L. Martin Professor of Aerospace Engineering. As president, his range of university initiatives include Arts for All, a commitment to making the campus Net Carbon neutral, a commitment to taking on humanity’s grand challenges, and partnering to advance the public good. His Grand Challenges Grants award university funding to study and implement solutions in areas such as sustainability, literacy, and food, energy and water security. He’s also leading initiatives in scholarships, retention, and graduation. Pines is also dedicated to leadership in emerging areas such as quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, education, climate change, AI and data science, and health.

Pines first arrived on campus in 1995 as an assistant professor and steadily rose through the ranks of academic leadership. He served as chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering from 2006–09 and for the following 11 years as dean and Nariman Farvardin Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the A. James Clark School of Engineering. His own research focuses on structural dynamics, including structural health monitoring and prognosis, smart sensors, and adaptive, morphing and biologically inspired structures as well as the guidance, navigation and control of aerospace vehicles. He holds seven co-authored patents with his students and collaborators. Prior to his promotion to dean, Pines took a leave of absence from 2003-06 to serve as a program manager for the Tactical Technology Office and Defense Sciences Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He has also held positions at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Chevron Corp. and Space Tethers.

Pines received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.