Meet the Next Dean of the College of Science and Engineering

In a letter to the campus community, Provost Shane P. Martin, PhD, announced that Amit Shukla, PhD, has been appointed the next Dean of the College of Science and Engineering. Dr. Shukla is currently Chair of the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Miami University in Oxford, OH. He will join Seattle University on July 1.

“Amit’s collaborative leadership style, combined with his focus on academic excellence, the student experience and community engagement, make him the right choice for Seattle University’s College of Science and Engineering,” said President Eduardo Peñalver. “His demonstrated commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and to research that is both rigorous and relevant are a perfect fit for our Jesuit-inspired ambition to train leaders capable of grappling with the complex challenges our society is facing, from climate change to accelerating technological transformation.”

Dr. Shukla’s career as an academic and administrator has been marked by a commitment to innovation, transparency, collaboration and inclusion. For two decades, he has served in various leadership roles at Miami University, with progressively increasing responsibility. He has extensive experience in supporting student success and faculty development, fostering multidisciplinary teaching and research, fundraising, engaging with alumni and forging mutually enriching partnerships with industry.

Before being named chair in 2018, Dr. Shukla was the founding director of the Miami University Center for Assistive Technology, which identifies socially relevant problems and develops engineering solutions by engaging students in interdisciplinary research. He has served and chaired several university committees, providing leadership in such areas as budget planning, college affordability and faculty development. Among other awards and recognitions for his teaching, research and leadership, Dr. Shukla received Miami University’s Inclusive Excellence Award in 2021.

“I am humbled and honored by the opportunity to serve as the Dean of the College of Science and Engineering at Seattle University. SU is a remarkable and unique institution with a rich history of transformational teaching and education,” Dr. Shukla said in a statement. “SU’s CSE community has exceptional faculty and staff who are truly focused on student success. The students are engaged and well-rounded. CSE is supported by outstanding alumni and external partners.

“I am looking forward to collaborating with the entire SU and CSE community to develop a model for transformative and multidisciplinary STEM education. SU is an ideal place, with its mission to educate the whole person and empower leaders for a just and humane world, to create an innovative and creative STEM education and research paradigm supported by local industry partners.”

Provost Martin thanks the Search Committee for their work in leading a successful process and reiterates his gratitude for Dean Michael J. Quinn, PhD, and the tremendous leadership he has provided to the College of Science and Engineering over many years.

 “We look forward to wishing him well sometime closer to the conclusion of his deanship. In the meantime, please join with me in warmly welcoming to our academic community Dr. Amit Shukla,” says Martin.