Lawrence Sutter Named Assistant Dean of Research and External Relations

Exterior of Minerals and Materials Engineering Building
Exterior of Minerals and Materials Engineering Building
The Minerals and Materials Engineering Building houses Michigan Technological University's College of Engineering. CoE Dean Janet Callahan has announced that Lawrence Sutter has been appointed assistant dean of research and external relations for the College.
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A Michigan Technological University faculty member with more than 30 years’ experience in materials characterization, concrete-making materials and concrete durability has been appointed to a University leadership position.

Janet Callahan, dean of the College of Engineering, announced that Lawrence Sutter had been selected as the College's assistant dean of research and external relations. Sutter is currently a professor of materials science and engineering and director of the Michigan Department of Transportation-sponsored Transportation Materials Research Center at Michigan Tech.

Sutter’s research has centered on the use of various recycled and secondary materials, including fly ash, blast furnace slag and municipal solid waste incinerator ash. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical Engineering, Master’s in Environmental Engineering and PhD in Civil Engineering, all from Michigan Tech.

Working for Research

In his new position, Sutter will help facilitate faculty and staff engagement with agencies that fund research projects. He will work with the dean and members of the College to develop strategic research thrusts, as well as funding strategies for new faculty hires and start-ups. He will focus on large, complex, multi-year projects. The aim is to significantly augment the support provided to faculty who desire to submit large, multi-investigator proposals, to help identify new opportunities for funding and to promote multi-disciplinary engagement in research across College of Engineering departments.

“Dr. Sutter brings comprehensive knowledge and experience in doing research within a university environment," Callahan said. "Across his career, he has both led and built teams and participated in a variety of externally funded research. I am pleased that he has joined the leadership team of the College of Engineering in this capacity.”

An Exciting Time

Sutter said he was honored and excited about his appointment. “ It’s an exciting time at Michigan Tech with new leadership and direction, and I look forward to the challenge of helping the College grow its sponsored-research portfolio.”

Sutter holds numerous leadership positions within the concrete industry, including recently being named Fellow of ASTM International, formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, where he holds multiple leadership positions and serves as a member of several committees. He is a Fellow of the American Concrete Institute and serves as chair of the Committee on Fly Ash and secretary of the Committee on Durability. He is also a member of committees on sustainability, alternative cements, aggregates and ultra-high performance concrete.

Sutter’s appointment was effective on June 10.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.

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