The New Mexico State University College of Engineering has recently recognized three faculty members for their contributions to the college and their respective departments with endowed professorships.
“Endowed professorships are among the most distinguished faculty appointments at a university and one of the highest honors within the college. They celebrate the exceptional achievements of our faculty while serving as a lasting tribute to the generosity and vision of the donors who made them possible,” NMSU College of Engineering interim Dean David V. Jauregui said.
Associate Professor Di Shi in the Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering was awarded the Paul W. and Valerie Klipsch Distinguished Professorship. Per the guidelines of the professorship agreement, the selection committee considered candidates’ strengths in education, research, service and leadership.
The late Paul W. and Valerie Klipsch established the permanently endowed professorship to “reward outstanding faculty members who have made significant contributions toward the mission of graduating world-class engineers.” Paul Klipsch earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and went on to create the world-renown Klipsch speakers.
Assistant Professor Fengyu Wang was selected for the Public Service Company of New Mexico Professorship in Utility Management. The committee includes several members from PNM, and it was the committee’s consensus that Wang’s research most closely aligned with PNM’s goals.
Shi and Wang are developing market-rate designs for grids with very high renewable energy integration and leveraging artificial intelligence to modernize infrastructure.
“Dr. Shi and Dr. Wang have done an exceptional job in securing grant funding for the NMSU Power Program. Both researchers have significant awards aimed at increasing the energy security of underserved populations in New Mexico. This type of research supports NMSU’s land-grant mission,” said Steve Stochaj, Klipsch School of Electrical and Computer Engineering department head.
From the Department of Civil Engineering, Assistant Professor Gloria Zhang has been named the John Minor Professor in Civil Engineering.
The Dr. John Minor P.E. Memorial Endowed Professorship was established by Joseph Minor in tribute to his late brother, John Minor, who joined NMSU’s Civil Engineering faculty in 1970 and retired as professor emeritus in 1994. He pioneered the inspection and testing of major bridges in cooperation with the New Mexico Department of Transportation.
Zhang’s multidisciplinary research focuses on developing the next generation of automated and multifunctional Structural Health Monitoring systems with applications related to transportation infrastructure. She leads two primary lines of research: developing automated, data-driven SHM systems and creating multifunctional materials and structural systems.
“Dr. Zhang has demonstrated exceptional initiative and productivity, submitting over 20 proposals to a variety of prestigious funding agencies, including NSF, NIH, DOE, NASA, USDOT and NMDOT. Her efforts have been highly successful, securing approximately $800,000 in external funding as a principal investigator and an additional $900,000 as a co-principal investigator across multiple projects related to transportation infrastructure,” said Craig Newtson, Civil Engineering department head.