Background

As the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Dr. Lyons directs undergraduate recruitment, retention, and graduation activities. He provides college oversight for academic programs at all levels, manages academic resources and assessment services, directs K-12 outreach activities, and is part of the college’s communications and marketing team. His research includes engineering education and engineering materials.

Jed Lyons received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. In 1990, he joined the University of South Carolina as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where he advanced to full Professor and served as Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Director. In 2004, he helped create a university-wide Center for Teaching Excellence, where he served as the first Faculty Director from 2006 to 2012. Lyons was appointed as the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Engineering and Computing in 2012 and promoted to Senior Associate Dean in 2017.

Lyons was elected as a Fellow of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) in 2009. He was a founding member of the K-12 Engineering Division of ASEE, and has served as Chair and Executive Committee member of this Division. Lyons has also served the Mechanical Engineering Division of ASEE as Executive Committee Member, Secretary, Program Chair, and Division Chair.

Lyons scholarship in the areas of mechanical engineering and engineering education includes over $8M in funded research and implementation projects. He has mentored over 200 research assistants, teaching assistants, teaching fellows and K-12 teacher/researchers. In addition to ASEE Fellow status, Lyons works as an engineering educator has been recognized with Georgia Tech's Outstanding Young Alumni award (1996). UofSC awards include the Michael J. Mungo Undergraduate Teaching award (2003), Bedenbach Distinguished Service award (2006), Litman Distinguished Professor award (2004), and Educational Foundation Award for Outstanding Faculty Service (2019). 

Education

• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1990
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1987
• B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1984