CBU names new dean for Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering

Riverside, Calif. (March 15, 2021) – Dr. Phil van Haaster has been named dean of the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering at California Baptist University. He will start his new position on July 1.

Van Haaster currently is assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and department chair for aerospace, industrial and mechanical engineering at CBU.

“We are excited to have Dr. van Haaster provide strong leadership continuity for the College of Engineering as he moves into this key role as dean,” said Dr. Chuck Sands, CBU provost and vice president for academic affairs. “His teaching and administrative experience as well as practical achievements in engineering research combine to provide a solid foundation for his new position.”

Van Haaster received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California; a Master of Science in Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles; and a Doctor of Business Administration from California Baptist University.

He has taught courses in statics, documentation and design, manufacturing process, and mechanics of materials. Additionally, since 2001, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has awarded van Haaster patents for nearly a dozen inventions.

Van Haaster succeeds Dr. Anthony Donaldson, founding dean of the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering. Donaldson, who began at CBU in 2006, will remain on the College of Engineering faculty as a professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering department.