Announcing interim dean of Pigman College of Engineering

Dear Colleagues,

It is my pleasure to inform you that Dr. Michael Renfro has agreed to serve as interim dean of the Stanley and Karen Pigman College of Engineering, effective June 1.

Dr. Renfro joined UK in 2015 as a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and served as chair of the department until 2023. He currently serves as the associate dean for faculty affairs and facilities in the Pigman College of Engineering, helping lead tenure and promotion processes and faculty development. 

As chair of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Dr. Renfro led the development of new curriculum and degree programs, including bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in aerospace engineering. He helped the department grow enrollment of undergraduate students by 18% and graduate students by 20%, and he grew the number of department faculty and staff by more than 20% each.

Dr. Renfro is also an active researcher and student mentor. He has received more than $30 million in total funding as a principal investigator or co-principal investigator, and his current research focuses on optical diagnostics applied to power production and high temperature systems. 

He has also advised multiple doctoral and master’s students and more than 40 undergraduate student projects. He teaches courses in thermodynamics and fluid dynamics at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. 

Dr. Renfro’s experience will be invaluable as the college and its positive impact on our state and region continue to grow, helping prepare more students to be the future engineering leaders of Kentucky and beyond. Please join me in thanking Dr. Renfro as he steps into this critical leadership role for our Pigman College of Engineering community and our university.

Thank you for continuing to advance Kentucky in all that you do.

Robert DiPaola 
Provost