FAC U LT Y
Michael M. Carroll, the Burton J. and Ann M. McMurtry Professor in Mechanical Engineering and Computational and Applied Mathematics at Rice University, and former dean of its George R. Brown School of Engineering, died on Jan. 17 at age 79. A wryly witty native of Ireland remembered as much for his kindness as for his research prowess and administrative flair, Carroll was an awardwinning playwright, poet and creator of crossword puzzles published in the New York Times. Carroll was born in Thurles, a town 90 miles southwest of Dublin, on Dec. 8, 1936, and grew up speaking English and Gaelic. He earned his B.A. and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from University College, Galway in 1958 and 1959, respectively. Carroll came to the U.S. in 1960 and became a naturalized citizen in 1970. He earned his Ph.D. from Brown University in 1965. That year, Carroll joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley as an assistant professor. He became a full professor in 1975 and held the title of Shell Distinguished Chair from 1983 to 1988. Carroll was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1987. In 1988 he became dean of the School of Engineering at Rice, with faculty appointments in mechanical engineering and materials science, and computational and applied mathematics. Neal Lane, the Malcolm Gillis University Professor and a senior fellow in the Baker Institute, was provost when Carroll was recruited to be a dean at Rice: “It was not easy to bring Michael to Rice. He was a distinguished member of the faculty at Berkeley, a world-class research university that considered itself well above Rice in stature. Many of his colleagues were surprised when he decided to leave. Michael brought his intelligence, prestige, Irish wit and legendary good nature to the position of dean.”
IN MEMORIAM
Michael M. Carroll
R I C E E NGI NE E RI NG
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