Dr. Rencis has been in higher education since 1985 and is a prominent figure in engineering education. He takes pride in being a first-generation college graduate with a humble background. Rencis is a first-generation college graduate and the grandson of poor immigrants from a working-class family in a small New Jersey town and rural county. In eighth grade, he had no desire to attend college, but enrolling in Sussex County Technical High School gave him with the direction, inspiration, and skills to pursue education at a career-focused technical college. He obtained an A.A.S. and B.S. in architectural and building construction engineering technology from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), where he has been honored with the Alumni Wall of Distinction. Additionally, he earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in civil engineering from Northwestern University and Case Western Reserve University.
Dr. Rencis has held several academic and leadership positions in academia. He has been a tenured professor of mechanical engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), department head of mechanical engineering and the twenty-first century leadership chair at the University of Arkansas, and dean of engineering and the Clay N. Hixson engineering leadership chair at Tennessee Tech University (TTU) and Cal Poly Pomona (CPP). Additionally, he has served as interim dean of engineering at the University at Albany, SUNY, and the University of Texas Permian Basin, as well as interim department head of mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Rencis is a professor and associate dean of the School of Engineering in the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide.
Dr. Rencis has experience in the aerospace field. He has worked on sponsored projects and established programs based on workforce needs. Rencis has worked at the Flight Dynamics Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, the NASA-Glenn Research Center, the Phillips Laboratory at Hanscom Air Force Base, and the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center at Picatinny Arsenal. At WPI, he advised student project teams on the structural integrity of a NASA space shuttle GASCan project, co-developed an aerospace concentration, and taught the aerospace structures course. At TTU, he collaborated with Arnold Air Force Base to develop the college’s first online master’s degree. At CPP, he co-led the establishment of on-site master’s degrees in aerospace, materials, and mechanical engineering in the Antelope Valley to support the aerospace industry. As Dean at CPP, he led strategically increasing the ranking of the aerospace program at CPP to 3rd for institutions without a doctorate. The CPP B.S. in aerospace engineering was the largest in California. He has experience securing federal support for liquid propulsion and UAV programs at CPP with Edwards Air Force Base and federal congressional members.
Dr. Rencis has published over 140 journal and conference articles on boundary elements, finite elements, and engineering education. NSF, NASA, and industry have supported his research. He is an associate editor and editorial board member for four journals on engineering/STEM education and boundary elements. Rencis has also served as a reviewer for various journals, conferences, and funding agencies.
Dr. Rencis has received various teaching, research, service, and leadership awards. He is a fellow of ASME, ASEE, and the Wessex Institute of Great Britain. Some of the awards he has received include the ASEE Hall of Fame, the ASEE Mechanical Engineering Division Ralph Coats Roe Award, the ASEE Isadore T. Davis Award for Excellence in Collaboration of Engineering Education and Industry, the ASEE Mechanics Division Archie Higdon Distinguished Education Award, and the ASEE Northeastern Section Outstanding Teaching Award. Additionally, Rencis is a licensed professional engineer in Massachusetts.
Dr. Rencis has made significant service contributions to the field of engineering, showcasing a dedication to leadership and expertise. He has served as the chair and vice-chair of the ASME mechanical engineering department heads committee, president of the ASEE, and director of the ASEE Engineering Deans Council Executive Board. Additionally, he has held leadership roles, including chair of the ASEE Mechanics Division, Mechanical Engineering Division, Midwest Section, and Professional Interest Council III. He has also served as an ABET program evaluator. Dr. Rencis serves as the vice chair of the ASEE Academy of Fellows.