- Dean Mark Tehranipoor wants the college to be a Top 7 program within seven years.
- Five established college leaders have been appointed associate deans.
- Leaders will be tasked with strategic planning, growth, student success and collaboration.
Tasked with leading the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering to a Top 7 program within seven years, the dean’s leadership team is in place.
“They will help us build on our strengths, advance our strategic priorities and position the college for continued success and impact,” noted Dean Mark Tehranipoor, Ph.D.
As the new associate dean for Student Affairs, Christophe Bobda, Ph.D., will oversee student success, undergraduate education support, student engagement, advising, experiential learning, recruitment, retention and student development. He is the Citi Endowed Professor in Advanced Technologies in UF’s Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, known as ECE. where he has served as associate chair for education for the past five years.
“Our students are the heartbeat of the college,” Bobda said. “I am committed to expanding access to mentorship, experiential learning, international collaboration and entrepreneurship so our students can translate bold ideas into real-world impact. Together with our faculty, staff and partners, we will continue cultivating an environment that supports student well-being, fosters cutting-edge innovation and prepares Gator engineers to lead globally.”
Bobda, Tehranipoor said, has advanced curriculum innovation, lab modernization, experiential learning and global partnerships to create stronger opportunities for students.
Bobda co-founded three startup companies with students and guided them through technology transfer, resulting in more than a dozen granted or pending patents. His work spans mentorship, inclusion, student success, entrepreneurship and workforce readiness, with a focus on creating hands-on, accessible and globally competitive pathways for every student.
He is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a member of Association of Computer Machinery (ACM), a member of the European Electronic Chips & Systems design Initiative, and a member of the European Design and Automation Association. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Paderborn in Germany.
Hugh Fan, Ph.D., was named associate dean of research.
“Dean Tehranipoor’s goal of elevating the college’s ranking to a Top 7 program within seven years is both bold and inspiring,” Fan said. “I look forward to working with him and all stakeholders to make meaningful contributions toward achieving the goal.”
Fan will be responsible for the strategic leadership, performance, growth and operational excellence of the college’s research enterprise and research infrastructure. Fan is the Steve and Louise Scott Excellence Fellow and a distinguished professor in UF’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, as well as an affiliated faculty member in UF’s J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Fan has contributed more than $38 million in research funding at UF, including $8 million in awards as a principal investigator.
“His collaborative approach to advancing faculty research is reflected in partnerships across the university,” Tehranipoor said.
Richard Hennig, Ph.D., was named associate dean for Strategic Initiatives, a newly established role that will proactively identify opportunities that strengthen the college’s impact, as well as foster collaboration across departments, colleges and disciplines.
“My best research has always come out of teams,” Henning said. “Our college has the talent and the facilities to compete at the highest level, and I want it to be a place where any faculty member with a strong idea can find partners in any field, know early about opportunities from federal and state agencies, industry, and foundations, and have the support to pursue them. That is how we get to do the research we love, and how that research turns into innovation.”
He will be responsible for identifying and advancing high-impact opportunities that strengthen the college’s national and global leadership in engineering research, innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and economic development.
Hennig is a professor and alumni professor in UF’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, known as MSE, and director of the Quantum Theory Project. Over 20 years, he has built collaborative research initiatives ranging from single-investigator grants to a $21.6 million multi-institution Department of Energy research center.
At UF, he led 22 funded awards totaling $39.3 million, including $7.1 million supporting his own research team. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed papers with more than 24,000 citations.
Tamer Kahveci, Ph.D., was named the associate dean for Academic Affairs. He will be responsible for academic excellence, faculty success, graduate education and academic policy. Kahveci is a professor and associate chair for academic affairs in the Department of Computer and Information Science and Engineering, known as CISE.
“I am honored to serve in this role and look forward to working collaboratively across the college to advance faculty success, strengthen graduate education and foster academic innovation as we realize our collective vision for the future of a college I have come to love,” Kahveci said.
Tehranipoor noted Kahveci has strengthened departmental governance by creating structures that distribute responsibility, engage faculty expertise and support timely decision-making. He has led faculty searches and search committees, and he leads a comprehensive undergraduate curriculum reform, working with faculty and the Industrial Advisory Board to better prepare students for the evolving needs of academia and industry.
He is a member of ACM, IEEE and International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB). He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
John Shea, Ph.D., was named senior associate dean, a key role tasked with advancing the college’s strategic priorities. Shea will provide leadership across academic affairs, research administration, faculty affairs, strategic recruiting, strategic planning and resource management.
“I look forward to serving on a leadership team that will strengthen the processes, resources and culture needed to achieve these goals,” Shea said. “I am honored to be part of this next chapter for Gator engineering and optimistic about what we will accomplish together.”
Shea served as professor and associate chair for Faculty Affairs in ECE. He previously served as the vice president of engineering for Extemporal Wireless. He earned his doctorate in electrical engineering from Clemson University, where he was also named the Outstanding Young Alumni for the Clemson University College of Engineering and Science.
His research focus is on wireless communication and networking, military and secure communications and networked autonomous vehicles.
As senior associate dean, Tehranipoor said, he will help translate the college’s strategic priorities into coordinated action across departments to attain new levels of innovation and excellence in research, education, entrepreneurship and global visibility.