VCU names new engineering dean

Azim Eskandarian, a Virginia Tech mechanical engineering professor and department head, has been named the next dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Engineering, VCU announced Tuesday.

Eskandarian, whose appointment takes effect Aug. 1, will also serve as the William H. Goodwin Jr. Endowed Chair of the engineering college. He’s currently department head and Nicholas and Rebecca des Champs Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech, a position he’s held since 2015. Before joining Virginia Tech, Eskandarian was a professor of engineering and applied science at George Washington University, as well as director and founder of the GW Transportation Program’s Center for Intelligent Systems Research and co-founder and director of the National Crash Analysis Center, also based at GW. His research focuses on robotics and autonomous systems, including autonomous and intelligent vehicles, collision avoidance and occupant injuries.

“Azim Eskandarian has established himself as a highly accomplished and world-renowned researcher, an innovative program designer, a transformational educator and someone who excels at tackling real-world challenges throughout his career of more than 40 years. I am excited for him to bring that leadership and experience to VCU as the dean of the College of Engineering,” Fotis Sotiropoulos, VCU’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, said in a statement.

Eskandarian succeeds Gary C. Tepper, the engineering school’s interim dean, who was named in July 2022 after former dean Barbara D. Boyan became executive director of VCU’s Institute for Engineering and Medicine.

“As one of the premier research universities in Virginia and the nation, VCU has undergone transformative changes during the past decade with visionary leadership, becoming a national destination for students and faculty thriving for excellence and discoveries more rapidly than any other peer institution,” Eskandarian said. “VCU Engineering has made significant strides as a relatively young college. It has established first-class facilities, attracted world-renowned faculty and founded top-notch research centers and institutes, collaborating across disciplines. I am excited to join this outstanding team of scholars to achieve new heights in engineering for humanity, train the next generation of uniquely skilled world-ready engineers and leaders, and extend transdisciplinary research and discovery beyond the traditional boundaries to solve real societal problems.”

A fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and a senior member of the Institute for Electronics Engineers, Eskandarian earned his degrees in mechanical engineering from GWU and Virginia Tech.