The SUNY Board of Trustees has promoted three faculty members from the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science to the highest honor it can appoint.

The SUNY Distinguished Faculty Rank program aims to recognize university faculty and professors that have made significant contributions to the field of education through research, community service endeavors and commitment to their institute’s faculty. The three honored professors join 11 other distinguished faculty in Watson College and a total of 35 current distinguished faculty from Binghamton University.

Krishnaswami Srihari, dean of Watson College and fellow distinguished SUNY professor, believes the three professors raise the bar for the level of academic discourse both in Watson and across campus.

“These are three superb faculty who have achieved international distinction and recognition in their respective domains,” Srihari wrote in an email. “All three faculty are truly world-class academicians. The elevation to distinguished rank is done only after a very thorough and rigorous review, assessment and evaluation of their (respective) academic credentials. This is a very difficult promotion to get, and these three faculty certainly surpassed the expectations associated with this prestigious rank.”

Weiyi Meng, chair of the computer science department and one of the newly appointed distinguished service professors, wrote that much of his work involves managing tasks such as working with Ph.D. students to perform research, preparing lectures and contributing to the professional field through organizing international conferences and reviewing journals.

Meng’s department is also tasked with the preparation and launch of new degree programs, one of which is the Master of Science in Information Systems launching fall 2022. Meng wrote that he was “pleased and excited” to have received the recognition.

“My goal is actually very simple,” Meng wrote in an email. “I would like to contribute to the readiness of my students for a rewarding career, either for a job in industry or for more advanced graduate study.”

Kaiming Ye, chair of the biomedical engineering department and another newly distinguished professor, wrote that his research’s primary focus is advanced biomanufacturing. Ye’s research group has developed multiple different vaccines that combat avian influenza as well as cancer. The group is also one of the first to establish the feasibility of generating functional human islets, or hormone-producing cells, for the treatment of diabetes. Ye wrote that he was honored when he found out he was selected for the promotion.

“[Watson College] is a big family,” Ye wrote in an email. “I felt so lucky to have opportunities to work with so many talented faculty, staff and students. They inspire me every day.”

Mohammad Khasawneh, chair of systems science and industrial engineering and the third new distinguished professor, wrote that his primary goal is to use the concepts of systems engineering that have been invaluable to other disciplines and apply them to the health care field. Khasawneh’s main objective is to make health care reach a higher standard of quality, efficiency and effectiveness all while becoming more equitable. Khasawneh wrote that he was humbled when he learned of his promotion.

“This promotion would truly not have been possible without my incredibly dedicated, talented and loyal students and alumni, of whom I am especially proud,” Khasawneh wrote in an email. “I also get to work with great teams and colleagues — at the department, college and university levels and beyond — which is incredible. It is a team effort, and I am proud to be a member of Team Watson and BU as I accept this award.”

Rafsan Mahmud, an undeclared freshman, said he feels more confident in Watson College after hearing of the promotions.

“Learning that three professors have distinguished themselves as academic leaders has allowed me to be excited for what’s to come in the future,” Mahmud said.