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Administrative Achievements
ABET First Evaluation
Led the Mechanical Engineering Department through evaluation visit of the
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in 1993. The success
of the visit was noted by granting the ME program the “Substantial Equivalency”
status which represents the ultimate recognition ABET can grant to a foreign
engineering program outside the U. S. A. My role was very instrumental in the
preparation for the visit. I chaired the Department ABET Coordinating Committee
meetings, to insure a high quality turn out. The Department received highly
commending remarks from the visiting team. The following is quoted from the ABET
Final Report:
“ The department was well prepared for the visit, with appropriate materials
collected for all areas. Further, the Department Coordinating Committee
exhibited a very good understanding of the accreditation process and deserve a
great deal of credit for such outstanding preparation”.
The ABET team appreciated the administration of the Mechanical Engineering
Department. The following is quoted from the ABET Final Report:
“ The administrative structure of the department appears to work well, with
strong leadership”.
Programs Revision
As a chairman of the Mechanical Engineering Department, I played a leading role
in the revision process of the ME Science and Applied programs in the
undergraduate level. The process of revision started 1995 and resulted with new
versions with more efficient characteristics. The revised programs were
implemented in 1997, and will be used as the basis for the next ABET visit which
is to take place in 2001.
Research Groups
As chairman of the Mechanical Engineering Department, I introduced research
groups in the Department. The research groups are:
- Thermal Science;
- Dynamics and Control;
- Materials and Manufacturing;
- Aeronautical.
- These areas of research became officially recognized as area options under
the revised programs, implemented in 1997.
Students Enrolment
During my tenure as chairman of mechanical engineering, the Department
maintained the largest department on campus. The number doubled and peaked at
one point to about 1400 students. I feel that I played a role in that.
New Programs
During my tenure as Chairman of Mechanical Engineering Department, a new program
in Aerospace was developed and implemented. I played a major role in insuring
that the program is of a high quality. I made sure that the program was
subjected to the highest standard measures and reviewed by leading international
specialists in US universities.
ABET Second Evaluation
I led the University efforts to have all engineering programs re-evaluated by
ABET in 2001. I chaired the University ABET Coordination Committee. I closely
supervised preparation of materials. Sixteen engineering programs were evaluated
in April, 2001. The preparation for the ABET visit was so successful to the
extent that the Chairman of the visiting team noted in the Exit Interview
Meeting “ I might say to collegues in United States who ask me about preparing
for an ABET visit there that they could not do any better than to come to Saudi
Arabia and consult with King Fahd University to find out how preparation for an
ABET visit should be conducted”.
New Multi-Disciplines
We in the College of Engineering Sciences are setting our goals in line with our
tradition of high standards. Success in the future may be measured in view of
our ability to develop competitive programs in the emerging fields of
engineering. As much there is a need for establishing these disciplines,
challenges will always be in linking them to the traditional disciplines. We can
no longer think of each field of engineering strictly in isolation, rather,
integration is evolving as a norm. As Dean of the College of Engineering
Sciences, I have taken one forward step in raising awareness of this important
aspect. I have formed a college group to introduce Mechatronics in the College,
in which, disciplines of mechanics, electronics, and control are integrated. The
need for such area is becoming more prominently recognized since it covers wide
range of engineering applications.
The objectives of the group are to:
- promote Mechatronics as a newly emerging technology in multidisciplinary
engineering applications;
- establish expertise in Mechatronics at college and university levels
through collaboration of different departments;
- initiate and carry out R&D projects of Mechatronics systems with
potential industrial applications;
establish an endowment chair in Mechatronics;
- introduce Mechatronics in the undergraduate and graduate curricula.
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