As Tech's chief academic officer, McNamee will be responsible for all undergraduate, graduate, off campus and research programs. He is expected to begin in Blacksburg in August. Undoubtedly one of McNamee's biggest challenges will be helping move Tech into the top 30 research institutions in the nation - an ambitious goal Steger first announced during his inauguration last April. Tech was ranked 50th in research spending last year. McNamee said Monday he is eager to be involved in Tech's emphasis on increasing research as well as its continuing expansion of technology fields.
Tech appears willing to invest in the effort.
As dean at UC Davis, McNamee continued to teach classes and could frequently be seen going out to lunch with groups of undergraduate students, which is something colleague Leo Chalupa believes is evidence of McNamee's credentials to head student programs at Tech. McNamee served as chairman of the department of biochemistry and biophysics for several years before becoming dean in 1993. He earned his bachelor of science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and skipped a master's degree to earn his doctorate in physical chemistry from Stanford University in 1973. He joined the faculty at UC Davis in 1975. He is married with three children.