“They were in shock about what will happen next because I think that they really like me as dean,” Venky said. “There’s a sense of happiness for me but it’s worrisome for them.”

“It was unexpected,” said Frederick H. Abernathy, who is McKay professor of mechanical engineering and Lawrence professor of engineering, after the faculty meeting. “No one who I know will be happy that he is leaving. His interpersonal skills are incomparable at Harvard.”

Wang Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Roger W. Brockett said that though people were surprised by this morning’s e-mail, Venky’s retirement was a matter of “sooner rather than later.”

“I perfectly well understand why he would want to step down given all the responsibilities he had,” Brockett said. “It was a very big job.”

Ever since he was appointed as the dean of DEAS in 1998, Venky’s stated priorities for the division have been expanding its faculty and student enrollment to make engineering at Harvard more competitive with other schools. According to Venky, 16 senior faculty appointments have been made in DEAS during his time as dean.

The number of graduate students rose from 72 in 1998 to 150 today, with graduate applications more than tripling in the same period, according to Faculty of Arts and Sciences spokesman Steve Bradt.

Venky, who currently oversees seven graduate students, said that he is looking forward to going back to teaching, which he calls the “best job at a university.”

Venky said he will also help develop new engineering courses for non-concentrators in the College in order to “make engineering and technology more of a Harvard College experience.”

“I’m at peace with myself,” he said. “I love Harvard and I love the Division. I’m very happy with what I’ve done.”

—Staff writer May Habib can be reached at habib@fas.harvard.edu.