Dr. Kenneth Fridley, came to ODU as the new Dean of the Batten College of Engineering and Technology on July 1, 2022 after a long tenure at the University of Alabama (UA).  Fridley served as senior associate dean for administration at UA’s College of Engineering from 2014 to 2022 and as interim dean of the Honors College from 2019 to 2020.

He also served as head of UA’s Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering from 2003 to 2014. During his tenure, the department experienced significant growth in enrollment – with undergraduate and graduate enrollment more than doubling and doctoral enrollment tripling.

Fridley brings significant experience developing and advancing philanthropic opportunities, economic development, externally funded research and other fundraising efforts.  While at UA, he was involved in two capital campaigns, including the $1.5 billion initiative announced last year.

At UA, he led efforts to establish a five-year BSCE/MSCE program, Bachelor of Science degrees in construction engineering, architectural engineering and environmental engineering and the cross-disciplinary MSCE/ MBA and MSCE/JD dual-degree programs.

Fridley developed the Engineering Positive and Intentional Change (EPIC) Scholars honors program and led efforts to establish The CUBE, an interdisciplinary prototyping and 3D printing lab designed to promote student innovation in engineering.

Much of Fridley’s research – including over $14.4 million in sponsored research – has directly impacted the civil engineering profession, resulting in changes in national design specifications, standards and codes.

While at UA, he founded the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure and was part of a team that created the Integrative Center for Athletic and Sport Technology.  He was elected a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2008 and received the ASCE Excellence in Civil Engineering Education (ExCEEd) Leadership Award in 2010.

Fridley previously taught at Purdue University (1990-1992), the University of Oklahoma (1992-1994), Washington State University (1994-2001) and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2001-2003).

He earned his B.S. in civil engineering from Washington State University, his M.S. in architectural engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and his Ph.D. in civil engineering from Auburn University.