AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — The University of Massachusetts has named a longtime professor at the University of Florida as the Amherst campus’ new engineering dean.

UMass announced Thursday that Tim Anderson has been selected to lead the College of Engineering, effective March 1.

Anderson has been on Florida’s faculty since 1978 and his research focuses on electronic materials processing. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Society of Engineering Education.

He is also the director of the Florida Energy Systems Consortium, a collaboration among the state’s public universities to conduct energy research, education and outreach.

Anderson said he was drawn to UMass by its “well-deserved reputation for excellence in education and scholarly activities.”

UMass Provost James Staros called Anderson a “leader in both engineering research and education.”