Drexel Engineering announced the hire of 10 new tenure-track faculty starting in 2022 and 2023. The additions are part of Drexel’s cluster hiring initiative, which seeks to recruit highly interdisciplinary faculty who will catalyze collaboration across departments and colleges to address global issues. In engineering, faculty are sought to engineer change in the cluster themes of energy and sustainability; smart, integrated cities; and health, wellness, and medicine.
“These new faculty will play a vital role in enhancing the research impact of the college; addressing enrollment growth and strategic teaching needs; advancing our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and building on our widely-respected strengths in rapidly evolving fields,” said Sharon L. Walker, PhD, Dean of the College of Engineering.
Smart, Integrated Cities
Joshua Agar, PhD
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Zhiwei Chen, PhD
Assistant Professor, Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
University of South Florida
Arvin Ebrahimkhanlou, PhD
Assistant Professor, Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
University of Texas at Austin
Lifeng Zhou, PhD
Assistant Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Virginia Tech
Energy and Sustainability
Ania-Ariadna Baetica, PhD
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
California Institute of Technology
Wesley Chang, PhD
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
Princeton University
Fernanda Cruz Rios, PhD
Assistant Professor, Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
Arizona State University
Jill Wenderott, PhD
Anne Stevens Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering
University of Michigan
Yue Zheng, PhD
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics
University of California, San Diego
Health, Wellness and Medicine
Peter Deak, PhD
Assistant Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering
University of Notre Dame
Bottom row (L-R): Jill Wenderott, Peter Deak, Michael Grady, Xi Wang
Additionally, the college will welcome Michael Grady, DSc, as teaching professor
of chemical and biological engineering. Grady, who earned his degree from the
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, carries over 30 years of experience in industry.
Xi Wang, PhD, PE, will join as assistant teaching professor in construction management. Wang received her PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Kentucky and is a licensed PE who researches the use of aerial systems to help optimize construction planning and earthwork measurement.