Andre Marshall Appointed VPR of George Mason University

Andre Marshall, an associate professor in the University of Maryland (UMD) Department of Fire Protection Engineering (FPE) and director of the Fire Testing and Evaluation Center, will become George Mason University’s new Vice President for Research, Innovation and Economic Development and President of the George Mason University Research Foundation, effective July 1. He will also join the faculty of the Volgenau School of Engineering.

"We are sad to see Andre leave the Clark School, but are proud that one of our own - and a University of Maryland alumnus - is taking on such an important role," said Jim Milke, FPE Professor and Chair. "We know he will bring the same energy and dedication to George Mason’s community that he brought to the Clark School’s, and wish him great success."

Marshall is best known for the development of the Spatially-resolved Spray Scanning System ("4S"), a unique means to measure the characteristics of a spray from a fire sprinkler or nozzle. The characteristics measured by the 4S are provided via a 3-D map of spray velocity, density and drop size. This information is essential to the development of simulations that can predict extinguishment of fires by sprinklers or other devices that provide a water spray.

Marshall received his doctoral degree in mechanical engineering, with a specialization in combustion, from UMD after previously having earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. For the last three years, Marshall has served as program director for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Innovation Corps Program, which helps researchers reduce the time it takes to translate promising ideas from the laboratory to the marketplace. He was instrumental in converting the in-person experiential learning I-Corps Teams Training program to virtual delivery.

"Dr. Marshall is a triple threat: An award-winning faculty member with a successful entrepreneurial track record and a strong leadership background," said Mason President Gregory Washington. "We’re excited for him to bring that energy to Mason’s research enterprise, and we can’t wait for him to get started."

Marshall's research has focused on advanced diagnostics and computational modeling to drive innovation in fire protection engineering. He has been responsible for $4.9 million in research funding, and has been published extensively. In 2007, Marshall received the prestigious NSF Presidential Early CAREER Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) for his research on characterizing sprays used in fire suppression and combustion systems. The PECASE award is the highest honor bestowed by the U.S. government on scientists and engineers in the early stages of their independent research careers.

Marshall began his professional career at Rolls-Royce Corporation where he developed aircraft engine pollution abatement technology in partnership with NASA. He has also founded a technology startup, and holds patents in the propulsion and fire safety sectors with technologies licensed by the fire safety industry.

Published March 4, 2021