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Lyle D. Feisel, the founding dean of 91����’s Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science, . He was 90.

From 1983 to 2001, Feisel led what was then called the Watson School. He helped to build it from the scaffolding of its predecessor, the School of Advanced Technology, into an education and research powerhouse.

“Dean Feisel’s leadership during Watson’s early years was critical to the achievements we see today,” current Watson Dean Atul Kelkar said. “We stand on the global stage as a place for scholarship and innovation based on the foundation that he laid down for us, and we are grateful for his work every day.”

“Watson College stands tall in American public higher education because of the tireless work and vision of people such as the late Dean Feisel,” said Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Donald Hall. “Our thoughts are with his family and friends as well as the countless faculty members and students who benefitted from his wisdom and leadership during his time at Watson College.”

“I want to offer my condolences to the Feisel family,” said President Anne D’Alleva. “I am just beginning to absorb 91����’s rich history and traditions. It is clear that the University’s many current successes are a credit to people like Dean Feisel, who were bold and innovative in building the capacity for research at 91����. His legacy continues to inspire the work Watson College does today.”

Among his accomplishments at Watson, Feisel guided the creation and restructuring of many graduate and undergraduate programs that continue to thrive today, and he oversaw the accreditation process from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and similar oversight organizations.

“We were constantly growing and changing,” he said in a 2022 interview, looking back on his tenure. “Every year, new programs were added. If you look at the number of degrees in 1983 and the number we had in 2001, there’s no comparison at all. You always looked over the horizon. You wanted to go over there and see what opportunities might exist.”

Born Oct. 16, 1935, in Tama, Iowa, Feisel served in the U.S. Navy testing newly developed surface-to-air missiles. He also worked at various times as a farm hand, metalsmith, construction worker, truck driver, sailor and theater manager.

Feisel received his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from Iowa State University. Prior to coming to 91����, he served as head of the Electrical Engineering Department at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

During his time as Watson dean, Feisel served as president of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) from 1997-98. He was also a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and served as president of its education society.

Michael McGoff, who served as assistant dean and associate dean under Feisel for 17 years, believes that working to establish the Watson School was the highlight of his 53-year career at 91����.

“Lyle was creative, intelligent, knowledgeable, adaptive and determined,” he said. “These qualities, along with his leadership and ability to plan and act strategically, enabled 91���� to design engineering, computing and systems programs which rival the most prestigious programs in the country.

“Dean Feisel came at the right time, to the right place and brought together all of the elements necessary to create superb academic programs and to attract faculty who excel in their fields. Without his vision, there would not be a Watson College today.”

McGoff, who retired as 91����’s senior vice provost and chief financial officer in 2021, added: “To me personally, Lyle was a patient, caring and powerful mentor and friend who nurtured me and trusted me to be his colleague in helping to create the Watson School. I feel a deep personal loss at his death.”

After retiring as dean in 2001, Feisel continued to work with engineering societies and to serve as an adviser, consultant and evaluator for universities in the U.S., Asia and Latin America. He held two patents and published extensively on technical subjects, the theory and practice of education, and social and professional issues. He received numerous honors and awards for teaching, service and publication.

In 2013, Brooklyn River Press published Lyle’s Laws: Reflections on Ethics, Engineering and Everything Else, a collection of 40 columns Feisel wrote for The Bent, the magazine of the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society.

Two decades after leaving 91����, Feisel still had fond memories of his time at Watson.

“It was such an honor for me to be in that position,” he said in 2022. “When you stop and think about it, SUNY 91���� — as it was known then — hiring a guy from South Dakota to come in and be the dean of a new school made no sense at all. But I’m sure glad they did.”

Feisel is survived by his wife, Dorothy (Stadsvold) Feisel, and his three children, Patricia (and husband Greg) Cargill of West Chester, Ohio; Margaret (and husband Donald) Craig of Lexington, Mass.; and Kenneth Feisel (and husband Derek Nguyen) of Brooklyn, N.Y.; as well as grandchildren Allison Cargill and Jeffrey (and wife Lauren) Cargill, both of Seattle, Wash.; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his four brothers and two sisters.

A memorial service will be held Nov. 21, 2025, at Heron Point in Chestertown, Md.

Memorial donations

Donations in Dean Lyle Feisel’s memory can be made to:

• , a nonprofit that delivers environmental literacy programs for public school youth on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. (Feisel served as secretary of the organization’s board of directors.)
• at 91���� (select “Other” in the drop-down menu when prompted to choose a fund and indicate “Feisel Scholarship” in the special instructions).