William Wallace Destler (born August 26, 1946) is an American university professor and administrator. In 2017 he retired after having served for exactly 10 years as the 9th president of the

Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) is a private university, private research university in the town of Henrietta, New York, Henrietta in the Rochester, New York, metropolitan area. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degree ...

. He held the position from July 1, 2007, succeeding Albert J. Simone. Previously, Destler was provost and senior vice president for student affairs at the

University of Maryland, College Park The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...

from 2001 to 2007. He also served as a professor of

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

in the college of engineering,

dean Dean may refer to: People * Dean (given name) * Dean (surname), a surname of Anglo-Saxon English origin * Dean (South Korean singer), a stage name for singer Kwon Hyuk * Dean Delannoit, a Belgian singer most known by the mononym Dean Titles * ...

of the graduate school (1999–2001), and dean of the engineering school (1994–1997) at Maryland. Destler received his

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

from the

Stevens Institute of Technology Stevens Institute of Technology is a private research university in Hoboken, New Jersey. Founded in 1870, it is one of the oldest technological universities in the United States and was the first college in America solely dedicated to mechanical ...

in 1968, and a Ph.D. in applied physics from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

in 1972. His research specialized in "high-power

microwave Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter corresponding to frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz respectively. Different sources define different frequency ran ...

sources and advanced accelerator technologies". Destler collects antique

banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...

s; the number of instruments in his collection is purportedly more than 160. Destler is also an amateur folk musician and is a founding member of the Baltimore Folk Music Society. Destler released his first record, ''September Sky'', in 1973. It was re-released in 2010 as a CD in S. Korea. Destler also sang with the a capella trio, Rock Creek, with Wally Macnow and Thomas McHenry. He sang with them on ''Sharon Mountain Harmony'' on the Folk Legacy label and their self produced album ''Rock Creek''. His latest CD, ''Would You Have Time'', was released in 2016. More recently, Destler has gained an interest in hybrid and electric vehicles. His own vehicles, including a

Toyota Prius The is a car built by Toyota which has a Hybrid vehicle drivetrain, hybrid drivetrain, combining an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. Initially offered as a four-door Sedan (automobile), sedan, it has been produced only as ...

, a

Chevy Volt The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid manufactured by General Motors, also marketed in rebadged variants as the Holden Volt in Australia and New Zealand and the Buick Velite 5 in China, and with a different fascia as the Vauxhall Ampera in th ...

and

Tesla Model S The Tesla Model S is a Battery electric vehicle, battery-powered liftback car serving as the flagship model of Tesla, Inc. The Model S features a dual-motor, all-wheel drive layout, although earlier versions of the Model S featured a rear-moto ...

, are often on display during Imagine RIT, where Destler is more than happy to personally explain the technology behind the vehicles. In 2010, he approved the termination of RIT's

quarter system An academic quarter refers to the division of an academic year into four parts. Historical context The modern academic quarter calendar can be traced to the historic English law court / legal training pupillage four term system: * Hilary: Ja ...

, effectively switching the school to a semester system beginning in 2013. The decision was favored by the voting members of faculty and staff inside the Saunders College of Business, B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing & Information Sciences, College of Imaging Arts & Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, National Technical Institute for the Deaf, College of Science, Staff Council, and the RIT Student Government. It was opposed by voting members of the College of Applied Science & Technology, the Kate Gleason College of Engineering, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and the College of Science. 64% of students participating in an online poll voted to remain on the quarter system, while 18% voted for the semester system. File:1902 A.A. Farland 5-string cello banjo.jpg, A 1902 cello banjo in Destler's collection File:Laydie 001.jpg, A 1903-era cello banjo in Destler's collection

Retirement

In an email to the entirety of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Destler announced his retirement from the presidency of RIT effective June 30, 2017.Finnerty, Bob
RIT’s President Destler announces 2017 retirement
''RIT University News''. May 9, 2016. He was succeeded by Dr. David Munson Jr. who was previously the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering at the University of Michigan, where he served two 5 year terms

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Destler, William W. Presidents of Rochester Institute of Technology University of Maryland, College Park faculty Stevens Institute of Technology alumni Cornell University alumni Living people 1946 births People from Rochester, New York