News Article

Engineering names Narasimhan new associate dean

 

Contacts:
Mark J. Kushner, College of Engineering, 515 294-9988, mjk@iastate.edu
Eric Dieterle, Engineering Communications and Marketing, 515 294-4881, edieterle@iastate.edu

AMES, Iowa – Balaji Narasimhan, a professor in chemical and biological engineering, has been appointed as associate dean for research and economic development in the College of Engineering at Iowa State University.

Narasimhan, who formally began his duties August 8, replaces Ted Okiishi, who announced his retirement in April.

“We are fortunate to have someone with Balaji’s commitment and breadth of research experience,” said Engineering Dean Mark J. Kushner. “We look forward to his contributions in positioning Iowa State as a leading engineering school.”

Narasimhan’s primary duties as associate dean are to enhance the research enterprise of the college, oversee engineering graduate programs, and promote economic development.

“If we do these three things well,” Narasimhan said, “it will automatically transpire into stronger graduate programs, more research dollars, higher visibility, and hopefully a higher ranking for the departments in the college.”

Narasimhan has served as professor in the chemical and biological engineering department and associate scientist in materials chemistry at Ames Laboratory on the Iowa State campus. In 2003, he was named by MIT’s Technology Review Magazine as one of the World’s Top 100 Young Innovators and was presented with the Iowa State Foundation Early Excellence in Research Award. Narasimhan received his BS in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, in 1992 and his PhD in chemical engineering from Purdue University in 1996.

Narasimhan’s research interests include engineered biomaterials, nanostructured polymers, and combinatorial materials science. He will continue to devote time to his research.

The outgoing associate dean, Okiishi, was a faculty member at Iowa State for 40 years and spent the past 12 as the associate dean. The emeritus professor of mechanical engineering is now serving as a special adviser to the vice president for research and economic development.

“Ted’s work over the last 12 years has really provided a platform for me and Dean Kushner to launch Iowa State into a leadership position,” Narasimhan said.

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