Welcome from the Dean
Message from Dean Agah
Greetings from KU Engineering. Engineers constantly strive to innovate and improve. Whether it is developing new technology, creating cost-effective solutions to everyday challenges or designing environmentally-friendly products, engineers seek to make the world a better place.
At KU— with help of world-class faculty and dedicated staff—we are harnessing these engineering traits to shape an outstanding student experience. A leading example of these efforts is KU Engineering’s nationally recognized Practice Exam program. The program, which is designed to help engineering freshman and sophomore students succeed in math, physics and chemistry—and therefore improve retention—won a Gold Award from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. The idea is to provide students with in-depth, personalized tutoring and an experience that closely simulates the environment during an exam.
KU Engineering also gained national acclaim for its efforts to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students. Engineering IHAWKe Diversity & Women’s Programs was recognized as one of the “nation’s leaders in inclusive excellence” by the American Society for Engineering Education. KU is one of 29 institutions across the country to receive an ‘exemplar’ bronze rating—the highest available classification during the review period.
We have assembled a team of world-class faculty and dedicated staff, and we have an outstanding engineering leadership team in place to further enhance the support for our students. Mario Medina, associate professor of civil, environmental & architectural engineering, is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Suzanne Shontz professor of electrical engineering and computer science, is the Associate Dean for Research. They join Elaina Sutley, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging, on the engineering leadership team.
The future is bright and I look forward to serving and empowering faculty, students, and staff at the School of Engineering—to further elevate the School as a world-class institution.
Dean Agah’s Bio:
Dean Agah joined the university in 1997 and is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He was named Dean of Engineering in 2018.He also served as Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs from 2012 to 2018.
Dean Agah has been a co-investigator on projects that represent more than $33 million in research funding. His research interests include applied artificial intelligence and robotics. He has received multiple honors for his teaching excellence, including two university-wide awards. He has edited three books and published over 180 refereed articles. He has supervised 20 Ph.D. students, 40 M.S. students and 44 undergraduate research students. He has been a researcher at the Bio-Robotics Division of Mechanical Engineering Laboratory in Tsukuba, Japan; IBM Los Angeles Scientific Center; and Xerox Research Center in Rochester, New York and El Segundo, California.
Dean Agah has taught short courses at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand; Center of Excellence in Remote Sensing Education and Research at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina; and Department of Engineering Systems at the University of Tsukuba in Japan. He received his B.A. in Computer Science with Highest Honors from the University of Texas at Austin, an M.S. in Computer Science from Purdue University, an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering and Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Southern California.