Biography

Patrick V. Farrell joined Lehigh University as provost and vice president for academic affairs on July 24, 2009.   As provost, Dr. Farrell serves as the university’s chief academic officer. His responsibilities include leading efforts to attract, recruit and retain highly-talented individuals to Lehigh, as well as playing a central role in working to ensure the success of institutional goals over the next decade.

Before coming to Lehigh, Dr. Farrell served as the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 2006 until December 2008.  He is a professor of mechanical engineering with more than 25 years experience as a teacher, researcher and leader.

During his time as provost at UW-Madison, Dr. Farrell served as chief operating officer for the Madison campus and led the university's two-year reaccreditation self-study initiative, which involved input from thousands of people on and off campus.

Dr. Farrell also led the successful campus-wide effort to define a set of learning outcomes expected of all UW-Madison graduates, known as "The Wisconsin Experience." And he made recruiting, hiring and retaining outstanding and diverse faculty, staff and students a priority, as well as serving as a strong advocate for student access and affordability.

Dr. Farrell received his BSME from the University of Michigan, MSME from the University of California at Berkeley, and his PhD at the University of Michigan. Professor Farrell’s research involved combustion, fluid mechanics and heat transfer, and applications of optical diagnostics to internal combustion engines.

Dr. Farrell is a member of the National Science Foundation’s Engineering Advisory Committee and a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers. He has taught courses in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics, and has written more than 90 articles for reviewed publications.

Patrick V. Farrell