Dean Reza Abbaschian of the Bourns College of Engineering (BCOE) recently announced that he will be stepping down from his position at the end of the school year. In an interview with the Press Enterprise, Abbaschian did not elaborate further when he said that he was leaving because his goals and Chancellor Kim Wilcox’ were “kind of different.” By the end of the year he plans to continue his research at the Winston Chung Global Energy Center.
In a statement regarding the announcement, Chancellor Wilcox said, “Dean Abbaschian has been a very successful leader for UCR. He oversaw ten years of growth and internationalization at BCOE, including the creation of the Sustainable Integrated Grid Initiative as well as Riverside’s Long Night of Arts and Innovation. I’ve enjoyed working closely with him and am grateful for all that he has meant to the college and to UCR. We are fortunate that he will remain at UCR as director of the Winston Chung Global Energy Center.”
In the 11 years that Abbaschian has served as dean, he helped the school to achieve many of its goals and expanded the size and success of the school. Most notable among his accomplishments is his partnership with Chinese entrepreneur Winston Chung who donated $10 million to the school in 2011.
