Researcher, engineer is new NYIT provost

New York Institute of Technology has named Rahmat A. Shoureshi, a noted researcher with more than 30 years of academic experience, as its new provost and vice president for academic affairs.

In that role, Shoureshi said Friday, he aims to expand the school's reach globally as well as increase online offerings.

"Online gives you the ability to not only serve regional and national but global students," said Shoureshi, 58, who lives in Manhattan and plans to split his time between the Old Westbury and Manhattan campuses. "It will also enable you to build a reputation and branding for NYIT, because these are two areas that I believe NYIT has pioneered and will be expanding on -- one is being a global university and the other is providing online education that is enhanced with technology, which is the core of NYIT."

For eight years, Shoureshi served as dean of the School of Engineering and Computing Science at the University of Denver. There, he developed five new interdisciplinary degree programs, led the technology transfer office, and established partnerships with universities overseas and programs with major companies. He hopes to do the same at NYIT.

In his new role, Shoureshi will shape academic priorities and programs, attract and support faculty, and expand research initiatives. He will oversee curriculum development, planning and budgeting, and initiatives for teaching and learning with technology. He succeeds former provost Richard Pizer, who has returned to teaching.

"Dr. Shoureshi's impressive background and skills make him an excellent colleague to lead our Office of Academic Affairs," said NYIT president Edward Guiliano, who noted that a university of 14,000 students with campuses around the world needs outstanding coordination and guidance.

Shoureshi has authored more than 250 technical publications and is considered an expert in automation, artificial intelligence, robotics, bioengineering and structural and energy/power engineering.

"He has a strong research background, but also he has gone beyond being a one-track engineer," said Harriet Arnone, an NYIT vice president who chaired the search committee. She added Shoureshi "has worked with corporations and medical schools and across traditional academic boundaries, which is where we want to go in the future."

After teaching mechanical engineering and conducting research at Wayne State University and Purdue University, Shoureshi joined the Colorado School of Mines as a professor of engineering.

Shoureshi earned PhD and master's degrees in mechanical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.