Dear UAH Community,
It is my pleasure to introduce Dr. Srinath Ekkad as the next dean of the College of Engineering. Dr. Ekkad comes to UAH from North Carolina State University, where he has spent the past several years as Professor and Head of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering — one of the largest and most productive engineering departments in the United States. His record of building faculty, strategically growing undergraduate enrollment, enhancing graduate eduction, expanding research, and cultivating industry and alumni relationships at that scale made him the clear choice from a strong national candidate pool.
Dr. Ekkad is a scholar of thermal sciences and heat transfer whose work has attracted sustained support from federal agencies and major industry partners. What sets him apart as a leader, however, is the integration of that research identity with a genuine commitment to the undergraduate experience. He has championed experiential and project-based learning as tools not only for student success but for connecting the college to the regional industry ecosystem — a philosophy well suited to Huntsville's unparalleled concentration of defense, aerospace, and technology employers.
The College of Engineering is at an inflection point. The Raymond B. Jones Engineering Building will come online during Dr. Ekkad's early tenure, graduate program rankings have risen steadily, and the demand for engineering talent from our regional partners has never been stronger. Dr. Ekkad's priorities — expanding graduate enrollment and research output, deepening partnerships with Redstone Arsenal, NASA Marshall, and Cummings Research Park, and building a pipeline of industry-engaged undergraduates — align directly with where the College needs to go. I am confident he will accelerate that momentum.
Before closing, I express my genuine appreciation to Dr. Keith Hollingsworth, who stepped into the interim dean role and led the college with steadiness and care throughout this search. That kind of service — holding an organization together and moving it forward while a permanent leader is identified — is not glamorous work, but it is essential. The College of Engineering owes him a debt of gratitude.
Dr. Ekkad will begin August 5, 2026. I look forward to introducing him more broadly to our community in the weeks ahead, and I hope you will join me in giving him a warm Charger welcome.
Sincerely,
Dave Puleo
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
