After earning his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1984, Jed Lyons was eager to enter the workforce. He worked as an engineer for Harris Corporation, but missed campus life and marching in the band. He returned to Georgia Tech for his master’s (1986) and Ph.D. (1990) in mechanical engineering.

Although Lyons considered research positions in industry, he devoted the remainder of his career to academia. As he prepares for retirement on March 14 after 34 years at the University of South Carolina, he reflects on his calling to USC and his many years at the university.

“I was attracted to USC,” Lyons says. “I grew up in South Carolina and wanted to stay in the Southeast. I thought I’d be here about five years, but this is a great university and I couldn’t find any place that was a better fit for me. Plus, Columbia has great weather and plenty of opportunities.”

Lyons became a professor of mechanical engineering in the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing in 1990, beginning a long career of service to both the college and university at large. His body of research includes more than $8 million in funded projects and nearly 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He has mentored more than 200 research assistants, teaching assistants, teaching fellows and K-12 teachers/researchers.

“It has been a genuine pleasure to work alongside Jed during my tenure at the college,” says Hossein Haj-Hariri, dean of the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing. “Jed consistently generates innovative ideas that enhance opportunities for our students. He possesses a rare ability to balance these visionary concepts with detailed implementation plans, which also include the recruitment, mentoring, training and supervision of the personnel required to realize these initiatives.”

In 2004, Lyons helped create USC’s Center for Teaching Excellence and was its first faculty director from 2006 to 2012. The center serves as a professional development organization for all who teach in the USC system, offering resources and workshops to help faculty develop their teaching skills. Under Lyons’ leadership, the center began as a small prototype teaching center and has grown each year since. 

“Creating the Center for Teaching Excellence was a lot of fun because there was so much enthusiasm across campus about celebrating teaching rather than remediating bad teaching,” Lyons said. “New faculty don’t often have a lot of teaching experience, so the center helps them develop those skills.”

Lyons was appointed the college’s associate dean for academic affairs in 2012 and promoted to senior associate dean in 2017, serving in that capacity until his retirement. As senior associate dean, he directed undergraduate recruitment, retention, student services and graduation activities. He provided college oversight for academic programs at all levels, managed academic resources and assessment services, and was part of the college’s communications and marketing team.  

During his time at USC, Lyons hired and developed more than 70 staff and faculty in various administrative positions and mentored many others. He says that of all his accomplishments, he is most proud of those people.

“The management of the college’s student services office has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done,” Lyons says. “The thing I’ve enjoyed most is the 70-something people I’ve hired, developed and personally been involved with. The staff make me look good, and they deserve all the credit.” 

Lyons was also committed to student success. He recalls his own collegiate experience, when the associate dean for academics delivered a well-known speech about looking to the right and left, and in the end, only one individual would remain. The culture was designed to weed students out and award degrees to a select group. 

“A lot of procedures were exclusionary, kicking people out instead of giving them a second chance,” Lyons says. “At USC, I’ve instigated some discussions that led to changes in this area. Engineering education has become a lot more focused on student success.”

One example is Lyons’ work on the university’s Advising Coordinating Task Force, the group tasked with developing initiatives to enhance the advisement process and thereby improve student retention and academic progression.

“Jed was a leader in re-envisioning academic advising at USC, resulting in the April 2015 report that led to the formation of the University Advising Center,” says Ruth Patterson, assistant dean for student services. “He subsequently led our college to be pioneers where professional staff advisors advise beyond the first year and partner for four-year advising, which has become the model for the entire university.”

Haj-Hariri added that the university and college owe Lyons a significant debt of gratitude for his leadership and commitment to academic excellence, access and student success. 

“He has been the key resource for faculty members who share these values and wish to initiate new programs,” he says. “By guiding them through the intricate steps of transforming ideas into actionable plans that can gain approval through various stages of the process, he has been instrumental in fostering a culture of excellence and dedication within the college. I will miss his dry sense of humor and working closely with him. It has been some of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences of my career.”

As Lyons prepares to enjoy retirement, his advice for anyone transitioning into a new job is to avoid distraction from the core mission. 

“We often get distracted by things that would just be nice to do. When people are good at what they do, they are given opportunities to do other things. If that work is aligned with the job in front of you, that’s fine, but focus on the core mission in front of you,” Lyons says. “Someone gave me that advice about halfway through my career, and after I started focusing on first things first, I became a lot happier and advanced further.”

In January, Professor and former Department of Chemical Engineering Chair Melissa Moss was appointed to succeed Lyons as senior associate dean for academic affairs. 

“Jed’s leadership has left an enduring impact on our college that has vastly improved the academic experience for students and equipped faculty with tools needed to further that positive atmosphere,” Moss says. “Jed’s infinite knowledge, steadfast commitment and strategic vision are an inspiration. I am excited to carry forward the momentum he has built.”

Lyons has approached retirement in a typical engineer’s manner: with a list of plans categorized into different types of activities. Playing his saxophone in a community band, spending time with his wife, volunteer work, K-12 outreach and teaching an engineering materials class are on this list. But first he plans to hike the Appalachian Trail, a trek that will take six to seven months. It’s a goal accomplished by only 25 percent of those who set out.

“I’ve backpacked 700 miles of the trail already, but never for six months,” Lyons says. “When I come back, I’ll look at my list and decide what I want to do next.”