Inauguration of Eric T. Baumgartner, Ph.D.

Full ceremony: recorded April 24, 2026

Inauguration Week Events

MSOE hosted AI Week April 20-25, 2026 in conjunction with the inauguration of President Baumgartner. Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate MSOE and the exploration of AI across education, industry and society. To view the full AI Week event details and photo gallery, visit msoe.edu/ai-week.

Several events were held for students, alumni, donors and the MSOE community in the week leading up to the inauguration, including Trivia with the Baumgartners, a wine tasting event and more. 

Inauguration Program

Inauguration of the Sixth President of Milwaukee School of Engineering (PDF)

Professional Experience and Educational Background

Eric T. Baumgartner, Ph.D. 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.