Amy Fleischer, dean of the College of Engineering, announced the appointment of Todd Otanicar as associate dean for research affairs at Boise State University’s College of Engineering.
Otanicar is currently the interim associate dean for research affairs and professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering. He first joined Boise State and the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering in 2019.
“I am looking forward to the impact that Dr. Otanicar will have in this role for our college,” said Dean Amy Fleischer. “His expertise in research strategy, his wide portfolio of funding, and his deep expertise in technology transfer will allow him to guide and support the faculty engaged in cutting-edge research through the College of Engineering.”
Otanicar has gained significant leadership experience since going the university, serving as the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering chair and various roles involved in strategic planning. He has mentored faculty members to help them advance in their careers and has coordinated 27 multidisciplinary funded research projects from industry, state and federal agencies.
Otanicar’s research and expertise spans across three universities including the University of Tulsa and Loyola Marymount. During this time, Otanicar became an internationally recognized scholar in renewable energy systems where he has published three book chapters and 68 peer reviewed journal publications. Otanicar also holds seven U.S. patents and five international patents, which occurred during his time in industry when he helped co-found Exaeris Climate Technologies.
At Boise State, he leads the Thermal Transport and Solar Energy Laboratory where the lab’s focus is on developing novel heat and mass transfer solutions for a wide range of applications. The primary application for many of these is in the field of solar energy, including solar thermal and photovoltaics.
Otanicar has served as the interim associate dean for research affairs in the College of Engineering since 2024 and has also served on the Idaho Clean Tech Alliance advisory board.