We are pleased to announce the appointment of Simaan AbouRizk as dean of the Faculty of Engineering, effective July 1, 2024.
Since July 2021, Simaan has served as interim dean, providing strong and skilled leadership to the Faculty of Engineering. His steadfast leadership was at the forefront during academic and administrative restructuring and throughout COVID-19 and continues today. Among his many contributions that span pedagogical innovation to strategic enrolment, he has led initiatives to support faculty excellence, including the U of A Engineering Research Chairs program.
Employing a collaborative approach to advance the university’s mission, Simaan is committed to the student experience, research and engineering community. Simaan and his leadership team are strong advocates of Indigenization, equity, diversity and inclusion across the university community at every level.
Since joining the U of A as a faculty member in 1990, Simaan has demonstrated a dedication to providing an exceptional post-secondary environment. A renowned academic leader in construction management, the Distinguished University Professor’s recognitions include three terms as a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, Industrial Research Chair in Construction Engineering and Management from 1997 to 2016, a Steacie Memorial Fellowship, and induction as a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society of Canada.
We are grateful to Simaan for his outstanding leadership as interim dean and look forward to all we will accomplish together during his five-year term.
We would like to thank the selection committee members for their commitment to this process and the Faculty of Engineering faculty, staff and students for their participation and important input into the dean selection process.
Dr. Verna Yiu
Provost and Vice-President (Academic)
Dr. Matina Kalcounis-Rueppell
Dean and Vice-Provost, College of Natural and Applied Sciences