Dennis Assanis

Dionissios "Dennis" Nikolaou Assanis is a Greek-American mechanical engineer, currently serving as the 6th chancellor of the University of California, Santa Barbara since September 2025.

He served as the 28th president of the University of Delaware from June 2016 to June 2025 and as provost of the State University of New York at Stony Brook from 2011 to 2016.

Early life and education Assanis was born and raised in Athens, Greece.

Assanis received a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in marine engineering from Newcastle University in England in 1980. He pursued graduated studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, receiving a Master of Science (M.S.) in naval architecture and marine engineering in 1982, an M.S. in mechanical engineering in 1982, a Ph.D. in power and propulsion in 1985, Assanis is currently a United States citizen. He took a Regents-approved sabbatical leave from September 1, 2007, to May 31, 2008, citing the reason to write a textbook on internal combustion engines.

Stony Brook University Assanis served as provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at the State University of New York at Stony Brook from October 1, 2011, to 2016. He concurrently served as the university's vice president for Brookhaven National Laboratory affairs through his provostship from 2011 to 2016. On April 9, 2021, the Board of Trustees extended Assanis' contract, which was set to expire in June 2021, through June 2026, with a total annual compensation of more than US$1.5 million, which made him the third-highest-paid president of a public university in 2023.

On May 5, 2025, he announced that he would step down from the presidency on June 30. On May 13, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously to award him an honorary doctorate and the title of president emeritus. On May 24, 2025, he was officially awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the University of Delaware.

UC Santa Barbara On July 17, 2025, the Regents of the University of California announced the appointment of Dennis Assanis as the 6th chancellor of the University of California, Santa Barbara, effective September 1, 2025, with an annual base salary of US$880,000. In November 2025, the university spent US$7.8 million to purchase a new off-campus residence for the new chancellor.

Social engagement In 2008, Assanis was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his "scientific contributions to improving fuel economy and reducing emissions of internal combustion engines, and for promoting automotive engineering education".

On May 19, 2022, United States president Joe Biden appointed Assanis to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.

Personal life Dennis Assanis's wife is Eleni Assanis.