Dr. Bell's career in engineering education spans more than 25 years. He has been Associate Dean in the OSU College of Engineering since 1997. He has a full-time appointment with responsibilities for research, graduate studies, and external activities, including internships and international programs. He also serves as a professor in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering. Dr. Bell came to OSU in 1981, when he moved to the United States from the UK. He grew up in England, earned a B.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham, and was a lecturer for four years at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Dr. Bell served as director of OSU's Transportation Research Institute from 1990-1999. He continues to be active in transportation research by advising students and working as an advocate for the Kiewit Center for Infrastructure and Transportation. He serves on the board of directors for the University of Washington's regional transportation center and on the State of Oregon's road user fee task force.

OSU's College of Engineering has a plan to be among the top 25 in the nation. Our "Prosperity Through Innovation" initiative is aimed at delivering the impact of a top-25 engineering school so that Oregon and the nation can have a better future. We will also have a significant impact in the global arena. We intend to double our number of engineering faculty over the next five years to help us achieve our plan. Our goals include doubling our number of graduate students to about 1,100 to enable a research productivity of $120 million annually. This will increase the impact we have on our students and on the prosperity in Oregon and beyond.

The ambitious plan outlined above can only be achieved if we attract the very best graduate students from the United States and from abroad. We will continue to recruit top international students, particularly from Asia, and where possible we will provide full financial support comparable to other top universities.

Dr. Bell is responsible for graduate student recruiting and international programs in the College of Engineering. He serves on OSU's International Recruiting Committee and International Programs Advisory Committee. He participated in recruiting visits to India in 2005 and 2006 and an OSU delegation to China in May 2006. He is deeply committed to providing a quality educational experience to international students at Oregon State University.

Dr. Bell served as the Chief Marshall at OSU's Commencement (Graduation) Ceremony in 2005 and 2006. He will continue in this role as long as OSU allows!