Dennis Assanis
Chancellor
University of California, Santa Barbara
Dennis Assanis is the sixth chancellor of UC Santa Barbara. He previously served as the president of the University of Delaware from 2016 to 2025.
Chancellor Assanis, an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering, Fellow of ASME, Fellow of SAE, and Fellow of the American Association for Advancement of Science. He is a distinguished educator with a wide range of academic leadership experience and a worldwide reputation as a scholar and expert in clean energy and power systems. His scientific contributions have led to significant fuel economy improvements and emission reductions in transportation. Among other prestigious honors, he has received the ASME Internal Combustion Engine Award. Dr. Assanis has served on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and on the National Commission on Innovation and Competitiveness Frontiers.
Dr. Assanis served as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Stony Brook University, and also as vice president for Brookhaven National Laboratory Affairs. Previously, he taught and conducted research at the University of Michigan, where he also served as Chair of Mechanical Engineering, Director of the Automotive Research Center, and Director of the campus-wide Energy Institute. He started his academic career at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Born and raised in Athens, Greece, Dr. Assanis earned his bachelor's degree in marine engineering from Newcastle University in England. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he earned three master’s degrees in naval architecture and marine engineering, mechanical engineering, and management; and a Ph.D. in power and propulsion. He has received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Delaware.