Buell, who has served as chair of the college's department of computer science and engineering, succeeds Ralph White, who is returning to teaching and research in the Department of Chemical Engineering.
Buell said he looks forward to working with faculty, staff, and students in the upcoming year.

"I am honored to have been selected as interim dean." he said. "I have the utmost confidence in our faculty, staff, and students, and I firmly believe that, working together, we not only can meet the challenges that we face in the upcoming year but also build on our strengths in research, teaching, and outreach to ensure a smooth transition for a new dean.”

Buell, who joined USC in 2000 after conducting research at the Institute for Defense Analyses, is a nationally recognized authority on reconfigurable computing.

He has been on the faculty at Carleton University in Canada, Bowling Green State University, and Louisiana State University. He earned a bachelor's degree in math from the University of Arizona, a master's in math from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and a doctorate in math from the University of Illinois-Chicago.

A national search for a successor to White is under way.

Mark Becker, USC provost and vice president for academic affairs, said Buell is widely respected by his colleagues and possesses the qualities to facilitate the recruitment of and transition to a new dean.

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