TAMIU’s School of Engineering Welcomes New Faculty, Expands Programs, Research
As part of its ambitious agenda for growth and innovation, Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) School of Engineering under the auspices of the College of Arts and Sciences has successfully concluded a key phase of its strategic faculty hiring initiative, welcoming four new permanent faculty members and two visiting faculty for the 2024 - 2025 academic year.
The new hires bring varied expertise in emerging technologies and strengthen TAMIU’s mission to deliver cutting-edge education and research opportunities to students. Two of the four permanent faculty positions are funded by the $3 Million Next-Level Engineering (NLE) grant from the U.S. Department of Education.
Additional faculty positions are funded by the University via both institutional funding and external endowments.
A New Era of Growth and Expertise
The newly appointed faculty members hold extensive backgrounds in key fields, such as unmanned aerial and ground vehicles; wireless sensors and mobile autonomous networks; power grid optimization; solar photovoltaic battery systems and structural dynamics, and more.
Endowed Professor of Computer Engineering, Dr. Habib Ammari, joins the University from Texas A&M University – Kingsville. With a wealth of experience in computer networks and autonomous vehicles, Ammari possesses a significant track record of external grant funding and scholarly publications, including the prestigious NSF CAREER award under his belt earlier in his career.
“I was drawn to TAMIU by its vision for growth, particularly the development of new graduate programs and the goal of achieving R2 research status. I look forward to enhancing our research productivity by securing funding, publishing high-quality work, and encouraging our students to actively engage in research through initiatives like my WiSeMAN Research Lab, where they can become lifelong learners,” said Dr. Ammari.
Associate Professor of Systems Engineering, Dr. Gerardo Ramón Flores, comes from the Center for Research in Optics in México, where he made notable advancements in drone technology and robotics.
“I'm excited to join TAMIU and contribute to its vibrant engineering community. My goal is to foster innovation in robotics and automation, providing students with hands-on research opportunities that prepare them to solve real-world challenges. Additionally, I aim to lead cutting-edge research in systems engineering, contributing to TAMIU's growing research profile while driving advancements in the field,” Dr. Flores explained.
Assistant Professor of Systems Engineering, Dr. Hussein Sharadga, arrives from U.T. Austin and specializes in artificial intelligence (A.I.) applications for energy grid optimization.
“I was drawn to TAMIU because of its commitment to teaching and its collaborative research environment. I look forward to contributing to groundbreaking projects and engaging with the diverse academic community here to advance knowledge in my field,” Dr. Sharadga said.
Now a permanent Instructional Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering, Dr. Bakhita Salman has been a visiting faculty member at TAMIU for two years. With a reputation for excellent teaching and mentorship, she looks forward to a long-term role.
“TAMIU offers an inviting educational environment, made possible by its leadership, faculty, staff, and students. I look forward to contributing to its continued success and hope to one day build a lasting career here as a faculty member,” said Dr. Salman.
Additionally, Dr. Ahmed M. Elmekawy and Mr. B. Kazeem Oladejo have joined the faculty as visiting assistant professor and visiting lecturer, respectively. The addition of these two faculty members strengthens the quality of instruction in foundational courses by bringing PhD-level expertise to undergraduate studies.
A Bright Future for Engineering at TAMIU
With nearly a 50 percent growth in engineering enrollment since Fall 2021, the University’s School of Engineering continues to build on its success.
“Our track record for job and graduate school placements is outstanding, with alumni securing positions at Fortune 500 companies and prestigious graduate programs nationwide. We are confident that our new faculty members, combined with our growing programs and research capacity, will further enhance TAMIU’s role as a hub for engineering excellence,” said Dr. Mahmoud T. Khasawneh, director of the School of Engineering.
Currently, program graduates are employed at companies and governmental organizations like Lockheed Martin, General Motors, Amazon, Microsoft, the Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. Department of Defense, Columbia University, UT-Austin, and more.
Positioning for the Future: Research and Graduate Programs
The School of Engineering is positioning itself to be a leader in technological innovation, supported by several existing and new grant awards, including $1.5 million in the last two months alone from agencies like the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
As the University’s School of Engineering continues its upward trajectory, Khasawneh emphasized the importance of these new additions.
"The future of engineering education at TAMIU is bright, and I am thrilled to welcome these exceptional faculty members. Together, we will provide our students with unparalleled opportunities to succeed in the rapidly evolving world of technology and engineering," Khasawneh emphasized.
Dr. Khasawneh reiterated, “Our department is spearheading TAMIU’s push toward achieving R2 research status. With strong institutional support as well as the support of federal funding and external endowments, our faculty expansion is just the beginning. This initiative will strengthen our undergraduate programs and lay the groundwork for our future graduate program while enhancing the research output of the School of Engineering.”
The strategic hires align with the University’s goal of launching the Master of Science in Systems Engineering (MS SENG) program, which is tentatively set to begin in Fall 2025, pending final approval from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. This graduate program will offer data analytics and automation concentrations, providing a robust platform for students interested in STEM to engage in interdisciplinary research. In preparation for this program, research labs are currently populated with state-of-the-art equipment.
The establishment of this program fulfills a key objective of the School of Engineering, which is to offer local opportunities for graduate education in engineering. The recently funded NLE grant has provided critical financial resources, including faculty lines, equipment, software, scholarships, and research assistantships, ensuring a strong foundation for the graduate program's success over the next five years.
ABET Accreditation and Expansion of Undergraduate Programs
In addition to faculty hires, the University’s Computer Engineering and Petroleum Engineering programs recently received ABET accreditation on their first attempt, a significant milestone for the institution. The School of Engineering’s Systems Engineering program also successfully renewed its ABET accreditation last year, marking the first time all engineering programs are fully accredited at TAMIU.
Looking ahead, the School of Engineering plans to expand its offerings with new undergraduate programs in Civil Engineering and Computer Science. The Computer Science program currently being developed will focus on innovative themes such as cyber forensics, digital logistics, and autonomous mobile computing.
Meanwhile, the Civil Engineering program will feature cutting-edge coursework in structural engineering, transportation engineering, environmental engineering, water resources engineering, and green buildings.
The School of Engineering will continue its strategic faculty hiring during the 2024-2025 academic year to support these new proposed programs and the currently existing programs.
These searches will include an Endowed Professor of Petroleum Engineering, supported by the generous Killam family endowment, and a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor of Systems Engineering, with the potential to add additional faculty as needed.
As TAMIU continues to recruit top faculty and develop innovative programs, the future of engineering in Laredo has never looked brighter.
For more on TAMIU’s School of Engineering, call 956.326.2446 or visit offices in the Lamar Bruni Vergara Science Center, room 312. Additional information is also available at https://www.tamiu.edu/coas/soen/index.shtml.
Registration for the Wintermester and Spring 2025 at TAMIU begins Nov. 4, 2024, at 8 a.m.
University news and information are found online at tamiu.edu and via TAMIU’s social channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.
As part of its ambitious agenda for growth and innovation, TAMIU’s School of Engineering welcomed four new permanent faculty members. Standing beside Dr. Mahmoud T. Khasawneh, director of the School of Engineering (center) are, from L- R: Dr. Hussein Sharadga, assistant professor of Systems Engineering; Dr. Habib Ammari, endowed professor of Computer Engineering; Dr. Gerardo Ramón Flores, associate professor of Systems Engineering Flores; and Dr. Bakhita Salman, instructional assistant professor of Computer Engineering.
