Gerbsch hired as director for South University’s Quality Enhancement Plan
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Reinhold A. Gerbsch, D.S.c., has recently been named director of South University's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) and Academic Project Manager. QEP is a sustained initiative designed to infuse the university's core curriculum with the principles of critical thinking and information literacy. He brings with him over 15 years of experience in higher education, project management, and organizational development. Since 1999 he has served as a senior partner at LeanEdge, LLC, a consulting company based in Savannah, Ga.
As Director of QEP, Gerbsch will report to Joseph Harm, Ph.D., vice president for academic affairs, and work closely with faculty to assist them in implementing critical thinking and information literacy in their courses. Additionally, he will direct curriculum restructuring, raise awareness and understanding of the QEP initiative, and serve on the university's assessment committee.
"Dr. Gerbsch brings with him a unique blend of experience as a professional engineer and as a project manager, leading large initiatives in higher education and business settings," says Harm. "For the university system to optimize the benefit of our QEP, we must have processes that are effective and scalable. His expertise in developing such processes is a welcome addition."
Gerbsch began his career as a research scientist at McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Co. (now The Boeing Co.) in St. Louis, Mo. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned both his master's and doctoral degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. With a post-doctoral fellowship, he continued researching and lecturing at Washington University, where he worked as an engineering analyst and designer of prosthetic heart valves and ventricular assist devices for the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the university's School of Medicine.
Gerbsch is a member of the Project Management Institute and is a registered Professional Engineer. He has served as a subject matter expert with for the Department of Commerce, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Department of Agriculture.
About South University
Established in 1899, South University is a private academic institution dedicated to providing educational opportunities for the intellectual, social and professional development of a diverse student population. South University offers educational programs at the associate, bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels with campuses located in Columbia, S.C.; Montgomery, Ala.; Richmond, Va.; Savannah, Ga.; Tampa and West Palm Beach, Fla.
Further information on South University is available at: www.southuniversity.edu.