Andrew T. Hsu

President

president hsu

In May 2019, Andrew T. Hsu became the 23rd president of the College of Charleston.


Since his first year in office, Hsu has overseen the addition of four new engineering programs (systems, electrical, software engineering and business and engineering), the creation of the first three doctoral programs in the school’s history (Ph.D. in Mathematics in Computing; Ed.D. in Learning and Inquiry Practice; and E.D.B.A in Business Administration), the induction of the first cohort of Phi Beta Kappa scholars, record-breaking years of recruitment and 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 & success, 2) academic distinction and 3) employee experience & success.


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 Charleston Symphony Board, 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 Spoleto Festival USA Board, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges Board, 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 exemplified 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 their family.

Updated Honors and Achievements (add these)
2026: Top Business Leader (education category), SCBiz’s Inaugural 500
2025: 50 Most Influential, Charleston Business Magazine
2022: Humanitarian of the Year, Southeastern Chamber of Commerce
2020: Named one of the 50 Top U.S. College and University Presidents, College Cliffs

 

Education

1986: Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

1982: M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology

1980: Diploma of Graduation, Hydraulic Engineering, Tsinghua University

Career Highlights

2019-present: President, College of Charleston

2016-2019: Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Toledo

2013-2016: Dean of Engineering, San Jose State University

2010-2013: Associate Vice President for Research; Dean of Graduate School, Wright State University

1999-2010: Associate Dean of Engineering, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis

1997-1999: Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Director, Aerospace Program, University of Miami

1995-1997: Staff Scientist, Rolls-Royce North America

1990-1995: Supervisor, Computational Physics Section, Sverdrup Technology

Honors and Achievements

2009: Co-Patent Holder for Anion Exchange Membranes (international patent)

2008-2009: American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow, The Ohio State University

2007-2010: Founding Director, Richard G. Lugar Center for Renewable Energy, IUPUI

2004: Abraham M. Max Distinguished Professor, IUPUI

2003: Trustee's Teaching Award, IUPUI

2002: Outstanding Publication Award, The Literati Club Awards for Excellence Journal Publications

2001: Dean's Special Recognition Award (engineering and technology), IUPUI

2001-2002: Teaching Award, IUPUI

2000-2001: Honors from Advanced Research and Technology Institute, Indiana University

1998: NASA Summer Faculty Fellow

1993: Technical Paper of the Year, NASA Lewis Research Center