Aalto University appointed three new vice presidents

Vice president responsible for research and innovation will be Professor of Space Science and Technology Tuija I. Pulkkinen  Ph.D. (b. 1962) who has been appointed for a five-year term. Dr. Pulkkinen is currently serving as Dean of Aalto University's School of Electrical Engineering. Professor of Industrial Engineering Eero Eloranta D. Sc. (b. 1950) has been appointed as vice president responsible for education for a fixed term that runs until September 2018. Dr. Eloranta is currently Vice Dean responsible for education at Aalto University's School of Science. Vice president responsible for campus development will be Professor of Emergent Design Technologies Antti Ahlava M. Arch. (b. 1967), who has been appointed for a five-year term. Professor Ahlava is currently Head of the Department of Architecture. He will carry out the vice president's role on a part-time basis.

We are proud to have such outstanding vice presidents helping us strive to become among the world's best.  So far, we have updated our curricula, planned our research directions to meet future needs, recruited new professors — from within Finland and internationally — and worked closely with our students to invest into startups and training for entrepreneurs. I would like to sincerely thank our current vice presidents for the invaluable work they have done in the cause of advancing these goals and towards building Aalto University. I would also like to extend a warm welcome to our new vice presidents. I look forward to them bringing their own distinct experiences and insights to the table as we work together to further develop our university in the years to come, says President Tuula Teeri.

Tuija I. Pulkkinen is an esteemed researcher in the field of space physics. Her research interests include near-Earth space, space plasma physics, and the aurora. Prior to joining Aalto University in 2011, she headed the Space Research and Earth Observation research programmes at the Finnish Meteorological Institute. She has also worked at NASA and the University of Colorado, USA. Dr. Pulkkinen has also served as the president of the European Geosciences Union and was elected to the US National Academy of Sciences in spring 2014.

Professor Eero Eloranta is responsible for the Degree Programme in Industrial Engineering and Management and has overseen the renewal of bachelor's degree curricula at the School of Science. His research team works in the areas of global production, procurement, and distribution networks.  Professor Eloranta's research also has connections with service production and service innovation. He has also worked in logistics and supply chain management positions at Nokia.  Professor Eloranta occupies several positions of trust in both the academic and business worlds.

Antti Ahlava is a renowned designer and teacher in the field of architecture. His interests include building design and urban design. In addition to his work at Aalto University, he has also taught at Århus Architecture School, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and the University of Technology in Vienna. In addition to his other work, Professor Ahlava has been actively involved in the development of the Aalto University campus.