LTU names interim dean of College of Engineering

SOUTHFIELD-A veteran engineering educator and researcher has been named Interim Dean of the College of Engineering at Lawrence Technological University.

Maj Dean Mirmirani will assume his new duties July 8. He succeeds Nabil Grace, who left his post as dean to take the newly created position of senior vice president of research and economic development, leading LTU's new Division of Research and Economic Development.

Most recently, Mirmirani served from June 2022 to July 2023 as interim dean at Ohio University's Russ College of Engineering and Technology. From 2007 to 2021, he was dean of the College of Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. From 1987 to 2007, he was a professor of mechanical engineering at California State University-Los Angeles, including serving for 12 years as department chair.

Since 2022, Mirmirani has also been senior advisor to the Spark AI Consortium at the University of California at San Diego's Supercomputer Center.

Mirmirani earned a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Tehran Polytechnic University and Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of California-Berkeley.

Throughout his career, Mirmirani has led major research projects funded by NASA, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the National Science Foundation, and industry. He has attracted more than$20 million in funding for his research into electric aircraft propulsion, hypersonic aircraft, rapid prototyping, advanced manufacturing, engineering education, robotics, and more. He is also a member of the editorial board of the International Journal of Aerospace Engineering. An instrument-rated private pilot, Mirmirani is also a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Royal Aeronautical Society.

"We are all excited to have an academic of Dr. Mirmirani's caliber join Lawrence Technological University as the interim dean of the College of Engineering," said Richard Heist, LTU provost and chief academic officer. "He has had an extraordinary career in both engineering research and academic administration, and we look forward to his leadership and experience in helping the university and the College of Engineering to achieve our vision of becoming a more research-focused university."

Said Mirmirani: "I am grateful and honored to assume a key leadership role at Lawrence Technological University, and look forward to working with an extraordinary team of dedicated faculty and staff at the College of Engineering."

Meanwhile, Grace's new division will combine the efforts of LTU's rapidly growing sponsored research and its many economic development efforts aimed at fostering increased prosperity in the city of Southfield and around the world.

Lawrence Technological Universityis one of only 13 independent, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932 and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU as part of its growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation's top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation's top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report list it in the top tier of the best Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, "theory and practice" education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech's 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.