Eric T. Baumgartner, Ph.D. will be inaugurated as the sixth president of the university on Friday, April 24, 2026. Special events commemorating this momentous occasion will be held throughout the week of April 20–25.

Professional Experience and Educational Background

Baumgartner began his term as MSOE’s sixth president on Jan. 1, 2026. He previously served as the Executive Vice President of Academics at MSOE. Through this role, he provided strategic leadership and direction for academic programs and academic support units across campus. Prior to joining MSOE, Baumgartner served as dean of the T.J. Smull College of Engineering and professor of mechanical engineering at Ohio Northern University. He also served as a senior member of the engineering staff at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, where he played an influential role on the Mars Exploration Rover flight project team which designed, built, launched and operated the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on the surface of Mars. Baumgartner also taught at 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.

Inauguration Week Events

MSOE is holding AI Week April 20-25, 2026 in conjunction with the inauguration of President Eric T. Baumgartner, Ph.D. Join us as we celebrate MSOE and the exploration of AI across education, industry and society. To register and view full AI Week event details, visit msoe.edu/ai-week.

Wednesday, April 22

Thursday, April 23

Friday, April 24