Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to announce the successful conclusion of the Department Head searches in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), as well as in Engineering Leadership and Society (ELS). Dr. Naga Kandasamy, who has been serving as interim department head of ECE, officially stepped into the formal role effective June 1, 2023. Dr. Chris Fiori, Program Director of the Construction Management Program, will begin as Department Head of ELS effective July 1, 2023.
Both Dr. Kandasamy and Dr. Fiori have previously served our college well in leadership capacities, and I am thrilled to have them on the leadership team going forward. Since being appointed interim head on January 1, 2023, Dr. Kandasamy, in collaboration with colleagues in ECE and across the college, has been pursuing various growth opportunities for the department's graduate programs in the Internet of Things, machine learning, microelectronics, and power engineering.
On accepting the formal appointment, Naga said he envisions a department that fosters a collaborative environment where students, staff, and faculty pursue innovation in electrical and computer engineering education and research. “We will strive to produce exceptional graduates with a love of lifelong learning, and who can tackle critical technological challenges of our time for societal good,” he said. “The department will promote diversity, equity, and inclusion for all people across its teaching, research, and service activities.”
Dr. Fiori’s appointment in ELS marks a return to the leadership team, as she served previously as Department Head of the then-Department of Construction, Engineering and Project Management and Systems Engineering. Her time in that role was marked by significant achievements, including working to develop the merger of the programs into ELS.
Her vision as the incoming head includes a focus on engaging partners to support the programs and activities of the department. On approaching that, she noted her goal is to “develop a cohesive team of students, staff, and faculty while working to strengthen collaborations with other Drexel units, universities, and industry organizations for growth opportunities.”
My sincere thanks go to Dr. Jonathan Spanier, Dr. Michael Waring, and Dr. Katie Meier for their leadership and coordination of the committees and search process, as well as committee members Rick Grandrino, Irina Ciobanescu, Kathleen Short, Joe Hughes, and Eric Carr (all for ECE), and Karen Miu, Fernand Cohen, Fei Lu, and Chris Pe (all for ELS). I also appreciate the members of the ECE and ELS departments at large for their engagement in filling these critical roles.
Thank you,
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Sharon L. Walker, Dean
Dean and Distinguished Professor
p.s. Brief bios for these outstanding faculty leaders are below.
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About Naga Kandasamy
Dr. Kandasamy has a history of providing leadership in the ECE department, having served as associate department head for undergraduate affairs from 2018-2022, as well as associate department head for graduate affairs from 2015 to 2018. Of note during Dr. Kandasamy’s time as associate department head, and along with Dr. Chris Peters, the department launched a successful high school summer student institute, with four full days of remote learning about programming and hardware microcontroller concepts.
Dr. Kandasamy is a professor of electrical and computer engineering. He teaches and conducts research in the general area of computer science and engineering, with specific interests in computer architecture; parallel processing; high-performance computing; and unconventional computing techniques such as neuromorphic computing. He is the author of over 100 technical papers, several patents, and a book on High-Performance Deformable Image Registration Algorithms for Many-core Processors, published by Morgan Kaufmann in 2013. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Army Research Office, the Office of Naval Research, and Industry grants. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER award and several best paper awards, and is a senior member of the IEEE. He holds a PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
About Christine Fiori
Dr. Christine Fiori teaches courses in Project Controls, Equipment Applications and Economics, Leadership, Safety and Strategic Management. Prior to joining the faculty at Drexel University, she was the Preston and Catharine White Fellow and Associate Director of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech. She received her PhD in Civil Engineering from Drexel University in 1997. She served as a Civil Engineering officer in the United States Air Force and taught at both the US Air Force Academy and Arizona State University.
Her passion for building was stoked early in her life as her father and grandfather were both carpenters. Her research on the construction techniques of the Inca road throughout Peru was part of a Smithsonian exhibit at the Museum of the Native American Indian through 2020. She was recognized as an Engineering News Record Top 25 Newsmakers of 2010 for her research on the Inca Road. Additionally, she was featured on the Science Channel in an episode of Strip the City pertaining to Machu Picchu. She is co-author of the recently published, “Handbook for Building Construction: Administration, Materials, Design and Safety.”
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