Dean Emeritus Dennis Irwin honored by Engineers Foundation of Ohio, elected to leadership position

Dennis Irwin, PhD, PE, FNSPE, was recently elected as the treasurer of the Engineers Foundation of Ohio (EFO) and honored by the organization.

Irwin, dean emeritus of Ohio University’s Russ College of Engineering and Technology and professor emeritus of electrical engineering, was elected to the leadership position during the organization’s 61st Annual Meeting in June. In his new role, Irwin will help guide the EFO’s educational and service activities that support the engineering profession across Ohio.

Also during the annual meeting, Irwin was honored with the 2025 EFO President’s Award in recognition of his outstanding work as chairman of the EFO Professional Education Committee. Under his leadership, the EFO’s Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Conferences have become known for their high-quality programming and exceptional value to professional engineers.

“The success of the CPD Conferences really comes down to the careful vetting and selection process of the program speakers,” said EFO President Scott Dilling, MSME, PE. “This is accomplished largely by one person in particular—Dennis Irwin. His dedication, creativity, and discernment have been invaluable.”

An Ohio University faculty member since 1987, Irwin served as the dean of the Russ College of Engineering and Technology from 2002 until 2019. A registered professional engineer in Ohio, he is also a faculty member at the International Space University.

A Fellow of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), Irwin is the 2018 recipient of the NSPE-Ohio Professional Engineering Management Award, the 2012 recipient of the NSPE-Ohio Uncommon Engineer Award, and a previous recipient of the EFO President’s Award in 2013. He served as president of NSPE-Ohio in 2015 and currently leads the Buckeye Chapter of NSPE-Ohio. Irwin resides in Albany, Ohio, with his wife, Denise Cribben.

The EFO's officers for fiscal year 2026 are:

• President Joe Cherry, PE, FNSPE (Toledo, Ohio)
• President-Elect Randall Reeder, MS Ag, PE (Hilliard, Ohio)
• Past President Scott Dilling, MSME, PE (North Canton, Ohio)
• Secretary Chett Siefring, PE, FNSPE (Medina, Ohio)
• Treasurer Dennis Irwin, PhD, PE, FNSPE (Albany, Ohio)
• NSPE-Ohio President Kevin Houser, MSME, PE (Springboro, Ohio)

EFO was established in 1964 to provide a centralized means of funding and administering a variety of engineering, math and science programs.  Many EFO programs are designed to increase the mathematical, science and technical aptitudes of elementary, middle and high school students.  EFO works hand-in-hand with industry, school systems, and colleges and universities to stimulate interest and to provide the knowledge for students to become engineers.