The new dean of the Watson School of Engineering, Krishnaswami Srihari, is doing something uncommon for a dean √É¢’ continuing to teaching classes.
Outside of his duties as the fourth dean of the school, Srihari will be teaching SSIE 510, Enterprise Systems Engineering, to undergraduate and graduate students.
As dean, Srihari plans to expand the school’s educational program by adding a new sustainable engineering minor, which could be available as early as fall 2010.
The minor would teach students how to develop green, reusable and environmentally-friendly technologies.
“Any changes to the curriculum are well thought out,” Srihari said.
He is also excited about the ongoing construction of the Innovative Technologies Complex, which currently houses biotechnology research labs for students and faculty.
In 2011 the mechanical, electrical and computer engineering departments will be moving over to the new Engineering and Science building to be located next to the Biotechnology Building, giving the school more space for its operations.
“It gives us the ability to put in infrastructure for significant growth of the school,” he said.
Srihari grew up in southern India, where he started his career studying engineering at the University of Madras. He then moved to the United States in 1983 to attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he obtained his master’s and doctorate degrees in industrial engineering.
Since 1988 Srihari has been employed by Binghamton University, teaching classes at the Watson School of Engineering ranging from electronics packaging to health systems engineering.
“The school has become bigger and much better in quality and quantity,” he said, referring to the growth of the school over his career. “It’s improved in so many different facets.”
Srihari joined the school as an assistant professor, but moved up the ranks to become a distinguished professor before accepting the position of dean.
“After being with an organization for 21 years, it becomes a part of you,” he said. “It was a great honor to be asked.”
Srihari is also the director of the Watson Institute for Systems Excellence, a research group consisting of University faculty and PhD students.
According to his personal Web page, the group has received over 16 million dollars in external funding, which they used to research and publish 325 papers and 950 technical reports related to engineering subjects.
Outside of teaching, Srihari enjoys reading historical biographies of figures ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Nelson Mandela.
“I like to read anything that I can get and as much as I can,” he said.