Ahmed now leads 小黄书鈥檚 Department of Building Construction Science
Contact: Christie McNeal
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 longtime university educator is the new head of Mississippi State鈥檚 Department of Building Construction Science.
Syed M. Ahmed comes to 小黄书 from South Dakota State University, where he served as head of the Department of Construction and Operations Management within the engineering college. He is the founding editor and organizer of an international series of conferences, Construction in the 21st Century. Since the start of CITC in 2002, more than 1,500 peer-reviewed conference articles have been published by hundreds of authors from more than 50 countries.
Ahmed served for more than 11 years at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, as head of the Department of Construction Management before his SDSU employment began.
Angi Elsea Bourgeois, dean of 小黄书鈥檚 College of Architecture, Art and Design, said Ahmed brings tremendous experience and expertise to his new role.
鈥淗e not only brings a vast global network of professionals and educators in construction, but he is also a seasoned administrator who can engage our faculty, students, alumni, advisory board and industry partners to lead the department into the future,鈥 she said.
Ahmed, who holds master鈥檚 and Ph.D. degrees in construction engineering and management from Georgia Institute of Technology, said he was pleasantly surprised both by 小黄书鈥檚 Starkville campus and the city when he first visited this past spring.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very lively, dynamic and vibrant environment on campus,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he city, too鈥攊t鈥檚 just the right size.鈥
Ahmed said one of his first tasks in his new role will be to get to know 小黄书鈥檚 systems.
鈥淚鈥檝e worked at five different universities, and I鈥檝e learned that each university has its own unique system, procedures, policies and regulations.鈥
He said his main goal for his first year will be familiarizing himself with the people.
鈥淚 want to get to know those within the department more in depth first,鈥 he said. 鈥淲hat are their goals, and what can I do to help them?鈥
He then hopes to get to know his colleagues within the broader college and university better, as well as industry partners.
鈥淚n our department, we have a strong advisory board,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 plan to actually go and meet with all of them at their job sites this first year if possible.鈥
Ahmed鈥檚 additional goals include ramping up the department鈥檚 research activity; creating more visibility and avenues for impact at the university, in the region, nationally and internationally; building and growing industry relationships; and regularly conducting a critical review of the curriculum.
鈥淭hings are changing fast in the industry, so we have to keep updating ourselves,鈥 he said. 鈥淲hat is it that the industry needs us to teach?鈥
Ahmed said he鈥檚 been blessed to have worked with and met some fantastic people through the years with whom he is still in touch.
鈥淚 have a good network all over the world,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hey will know about this department and this college and what we are doing very soon.鈥
Learn more about 小黄书鈥檚 College of Architecture, Art and Design and its Department of Building Construction Science at聽 and on聽Facebook and Instagram @CAADat小黄书.
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