Renaissance man Dean Carroll passes away at 79

By Anita Alem     1/26/16 9:33pm

Former Dean of the George R. Brown School of Engineering Michael M. Carroll passed away on Jan. 17 at age 79. Carroll was also the Burton J. and Ann M. McMurtry Professor in Mechanical Engineering and a professor computational and applied mathematics.

Neal Lane, a Malcolm Gillis University professor and professor of physics and astronomy, who was Rice’s provost at the time Carroll was the dean of engineering, said he remembered Carroll as an outstanding member of the faculty.

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“[Carroll’s] infectious Irish humor and warm personal style were a perfect fit to the Rice collegial culture,” Lane said. “His contributions as dean raised the quality and stature of engineering education and research and added significantly to the enhancement of the university.”

Carroll, who was born in Dublin in 1936, wrote two plays, one of which was performed by the Rice University Players. He also contributed to crossword puzzles in the New York Times, Texas Monthly and California Monthly. Prior to joining Rice, Carroll was a professor at University of California, Berkeley, as well as the Chairman of the Applied Mechanics Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1985, and the President of the Society of Engineering Science in 1986. According to Lane, Rice’s former president George Rupp recruited Carroll, who joined Rice in 1988.  

Under Carroll’s oversight as the dean of engineering for 10 years, Rice established its bioengineering program in 1997. He wrote more than 100 papers and patented his design of an athletic track with no disparity between lines in the total distance. Carroll also hired professors in the mechanical engineering, materials science and computational and applied mathematics departments.

“Mike hired outstanding young faculty, many of whom have emerged as national leaders in their field,” Lane said.

Sid Burrus, the Maxfield Oshman Professor Emeritus and research professor in electrical and computer engineering, who was also a former dean of engineering, told science writer Patrick Kurp that Carroll was a true Renaissance man.

“His leadership style was to enable his faculty’s visions rather than imposing his visions on the faculty,” Burrus said. “That style served him and Rice very well. He touched us in many, many ways and we will all miss him greatly.”

After serving as the dean of engineering, Carroll returned to the National University of Ireland, where he taught and conducted research. The journal Mathematics and Mechanics of Solids published three consecutive monthly issues dedicated to Carroll for his 75th birthday in 2011. He is survived by his wife, Carolyn Gahagan, two children and three grandchildren. There will be a memorial held for him in the future. 

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