Acting Dean Mani Soma

Mani Soma, a professor of electrical engineering whose research involves the design of integrated circuits and bioelectronic systems, has been named acting dean for the University of Washington College of Engineering.

He will start February 12 and lead the college while a national search is conducted to find a replacement for Denice Denton, who is leaving the UW after nearly a decade as engineering dean to become chancellor at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Soma, 51, who has been with the UW since 1982 and once served as engineering’s associate dean for organizational infrastructure will direct the college with 10 departments, nine major centers, 300 staff, 225 faculty, and approximately 3000 students. Under Dean Denton’s leadership the college gained a national reputation as leaders in engineering education and for enhancing diversity among students, staff and faculty in the sciences and engineering. Soma said he is looking forward to the challenge.

"Denice Denton has done an outstanding job – the college is on the way up and I plan to continue that," Soma said. "My philosophy, since I have been here and even before that, has been to do things that are fun. If it is not fun, I don’t do it. It’s a philosophy that works very well. We have a great team here and we’ll work together to keep the college moving forward."

Denton called Soma an excellent choice to lead the college.

"Mani is a very effective leader and has established good ties with other schools and colleges and with the central administration," she said. “I am working closely with him and other college leaders to ensure a smooth transition.”

Soma, who was born in Vietnam, earned bachelor's degrees in physics and math at California State University-Fresno. He then attended Stanford University for graduate studies, earning a doctorate in 1980. He worked for General Electric in Schenectady, NY, before coming to the UW as an assistant professor in 1982.

In addition to serving as an associate dean for the college, he has been assistant director and director of various centers, and an associate chairman and acting chairman for the Department of Electrical Engineering.