[2] After serving as lecturer at UW–Madison for two years, DeVries became an assistant professor at the University of Michigan until 1982.
[2] Upon joining the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute that year, DeVries was promoted to associate professor.
[2] DeVries was appointed to a full professorship in 1994,[2] and left RPI in 1996 for Iowa State University, where he was chair of the mechanical engineering department until 2002.
[1][2] DeVries moved from Iowa State to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2006, to serve as dean of engineering and information technology.
[2] DeVries was elected a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 1997.