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Engineering Dean Discusses Goals |
| By
Kimyette Finley |
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Oct 2, 2003 |
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| Dr. Nagi Naganathan |
Dr. Nagi Naganathan has been the dean of the College of Engineering since May 1 after serving as interim dean for two and half years.
Naganathan has been with the University for 17 years and has risen from the rank of assistant professor to chair to interim dean before being selected as dean following a national search.
UT News recently talked with Naganathan to find out how his first few months as dean have been and what to expect from the college in the future.
How was the transition from interim dean to permanent dean?
Thanks to everyone’s cooperation and support it has been quite smooth. Even though the title was interim until a few months ago, I always believed the responsibilities were the same as if the position was permanent. What has changed is that we are now looking to the future. As an interim dean, without a clear time frame, it was about maintaining the course and laying the foundation for possible future initiatives. With my appointment as permanent dean, it is now time to take the college to the next level of excellence.
What is that next level? What are some of the College of Engineering’s initiatives?
Our College of Engineering certainly enjoys excellent regional recognition. Our next step is to work on targeted initiatives in order to achieve national prominence, while continuing to be a strong contributor to our regional, metropolitan mission. If we want to be recognized more broadly for our quality, our neighbors and the local community have to recognize our quality first. In order for our community to understand who we are, we need to remain connected. As a college, we have seen this as a priority, and we’ve worked very closely with our technical as well as non-technical stakeholders over the last few years. Obviously, we are delighted with President Johnson’s commitment to engagement.
There are six distinct elements in my vision for the future of our college:
• Being a top choice for talented, prospective students;
• Being recognized by employers and alumni as a source of outstanding engineers;
• Fostering a culture dedicated to learning and discovery and being known as a world-class center of innovation in strategically selected, multidisciplinary areas of research;
• Being valued for civic engagement and known as a strong and willing contributor to the development of the region;
• Sharing an environment where quality, commitment to diversity, and collegiality are clearly visible core values; and
• Enhancing the resource streams for the college and promoting increased self-reliance for quality of life.
As we launch new initiatives, we know well that we cannot be all things to all people. Students and parents are becoming increasingly savvy consumers. If we want to continue to be a college of choice for a talented student body, we have to show that our students truly have a value-added experience while they are with us. We will seek to enhance the placement opportunities for our students both for their mandatory cooperative experiences and full-time placement by developing key relationships with major employers. We will pursue selected areas of research with a goal to achieve national recognition in at least one area in the future. An example of this is the area of advanced materials, where our faculty members have been able to secure several significant research awards recently.
Will the college play a role in strengthening economic development in the region?
We have a significant responsibility in this area and are committed to becoming a key player. We need to communicate what we as a college have to offer and that we are willing to be a strategic partner in the region. These are strategies you’re going to see more of — collaboration with other colleges, institutions and in the community. For example, I recently visited Owens Corning along with our Dean of Business Administration [Dr. Thomas] Gutteridge and explored various avenues to work closely with them. With colleges and institutions working together, common interests and joint initiatives can translate to shared vision and strengthening of the region.
Are you teaching this semester?
For the first time in my 17-plus years at UT, I am not involved in actual classroom instruction this semester. I believe it is important that the dean’s energy is focused on connecting with the community and generating additional resources for the college and the University. Also, when you teach, it is important that you remain accessible to students, and with my current schedule this is difficult. However, I don’t want to lose touch with our students and will continue to stay connected through other avenues such as student organizations.
Additionally, I continue to be involved in my research in the areas of smart materials and automotive vibrations.
Is there anything you’d like to add?
This is a time of great challenge. However, I believe throughout history, many innovations have come about in times of great challenges. I think with my commitment to work together with strategic partners, we as a college will play a significant role in terms of the future of northwest Ohio. I look forward to leading the College of Engineering in this important time both for our college and our University.
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