Elizabeth Orwin

Since July of 2021, Elizabeth Orwin has served as dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science at University of the Pacific.

Dean Orwin is a biomedical engineer who, prior to joining Pacific, served as chair of the Department of Engineering and the James Howard Kindelberger Professor at Harvey Mudd College. A graduate of Harvey Mudd, Dean Orwin served on the college’s faculty and as an academic leader for over 20 years.

Orwin earned a BS in engineering in 1995 from Harvey Mudd, where she also served as student government president, before earning her MS and PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Minnesota. 

After graduation, she worked for Gel-Del Technologies in St. Paul, Minnesota, working on the research and development of a novel protein matrix for wound-healing applications. Orwin continues to be an active researcher, focusing on tissue engineering. 

Dean Orwin was also an American Council on Education fellow, a program that prepares participants for senior-level leadership positions in U.S. higher education. Her ACE fellowship was at the California Institute of Technology.

Dean Orwin’s husband, Paul Orwin, is a professor of biology at the University of Pacific. They have three children and live in Lodi, CA.