About The College
Levi Thompson Bio
Levi T. Thompson is dean of the College of Engineering, as of August 2025. Dean Thompson earned his B.ChE. from the University of Delaware, and M.S.E. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. He served as dean of the University of Delaware College of Engineering from 2018 to 2024. Prior to joining the University of Delaware, he was a faculty member at the University of Michigan where he served as Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education and Director of the Hydrogen Energy Technology Laboratory.
In his previous leadership positions, Thompson oversaw initiatives to expand student access and success, increase enrollment and revenue, as well as strengthen research activities. His efforts helped the College of Engineering at the University of Delaware significantly increase enrollment, double research expenditures, and achieve its highest- ever U.S. News & World Report ranking, breaking into the Top 25 among public universities.
His scholarly research on nanostructured materials for catalytic and energy storage applications is described in more than 150 publications and has generated 14 patents, several of which have been licensed. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the AIChE and recipient of awards including the NSF Presidential Young Investigator Award, McBride Distinguished Lectureship, Union Carbide Innovation Recognition Award, and Michiganian of the Year Award for his research, entrepreneurship, and teaching.
Thompson co-founded T/J Technologies, a developer of nanomaterials for advanced batteries that was acquired by A123 Systems, and Inmatech, a developer of low cost, high energy density supercapacitors for automotive and military applications.