President, College of Charleston
On November 28, 2018, the Board of Trustees selected Andrew T. Hsu to be the 23rd president of the College of Charleston. He formally took office on May 16, 2019.
In his first year as president, Hsu oversaw the addition of two new engineering programs (systems and electrical engineering), a record-breaking year of philanthropic engagement, the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the College’s founding in 1770 and the creation of a 10-year strategic plan, Tradition and Transformation, with a focus on three main pillars: 1) student experience and success, 2) employee experience and success and 3) academic distinction.
Before joining the College, Hsu was the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at The University of Toledo, a public research university in Ohio. In this role, Hsu led the university through a similar strategic planning process and oversaw its implementation. Through a campus-wide effort, the strategic plan resulted in significant progress in student success, research and scholarly activities, and fundraising. Before becoming provost and executive vice president at Toledo, Hsu served as the dean of engineering at San Jose State University and as the associate vice president for research and the dean of the Graduate School at Wright State University.
Throughout his career, Hsu has remained actively engaged in the community. He currently serves on the Spoleto Festival USA Board of Directors, the Tri-County Cradle to Career Collaborative Board of Directors, the Charleston Regional Development Alliance Leadership Council and the S.C. Commission for Minority Affairs – Asian American and Pacific Islander Advisory Committee. Previously, he was a member of the Board of Governors for Rocket Innovation, the Leadership Council of CalCharge, the Board of Governors of Edison Materials Technology Center in Dayton, the Board of Governors of the University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio, and was appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels as chair of the Indiana Bioproduct Commission.
As a faculty member, Hsu exemplifies the faculty-scholar model. He received numerous teaching awards as a professor, maintained a continuously funded research lab for 15 years and published 98 refereed journal and conference articles. He is a fellow of the American Council on Education (ACE) and is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
Hsu earned his Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1986. He then worked in industry for 11 years with Sverdrup/NASA and Rolls-Royce, where he developed unique industry perspectives and leadership skills, before joining academia in 1997.
In his free time, Hsu enjoys tennis, classical music and spending time with his wife, Rongrong, and four daughters, Carol, Kristie, Jenny and Emma.