Indian-American named Dean of Purdue's College of Engineering

New York, Feb 10 (IANS) Indian-American Arvind Raman, a longtime Purdue University administrator and faculty member, has been named the new John A Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering.

Raman, an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi alumnus, is Purdue's executive associate dean of engineering and Robert V Adams Professor in Mechanical Engineering.

He succeeds Mark Lundstrom, who has served as interim dean of the college since July 1, 2022.

"The College of Engineering is poised for excellence at scale and the promise to pursue and lead truly game-changing initiatives that will impact the state, nation and world," Raman said in a university statement.

"It is truly an honour to be selected to lead the nation's largest top-ranked college of engineering at a university with a tremendous legacy and a record of innovation and impact on a global scale," he added.

In his present role, Raman has led activities aimed at recruiting excellent and diverse faculty talent, enhancing the success of faculty and staff programs, elevating the prestige of Purdue engineering, and supporting the overall quality of academic programs and faculty development, a university release stated.

"Professor Raman is passionate about the role of engineering in creating innovative solutions for people and society. We're confident that as our next engineering dean, he will lead the college to new levels of excellence and impact," Patrick Wolfe, Purdue provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and diversity, said in an announcement.

Raman was named a Purdue University Faculty Scholar from 2008-12 and a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in 2012.

He also has a courtesy professorship appointment in materials engineering.

His research interests are in nonlinear dynamics and its applications to atomic force microscopy, human biomechanics, and roll-to-roll flexible electronics manufacturing.

Raman received his PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley; a Master's degree, also in mechanical engineering, from Purdue; and a Bachelor of Technology degree from IIT Delhi.

Purdue's undergraduate and graduate engineering programs are among the top 10 and top five in the country, according to the last two years of the US News and World Report college rankings.

Roughly 30 per cent of Purdue undergraduates are enrolled in the engineering college.