Department Head of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering
Rowan University
The Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering at Rowan University seeks a strategic, collaborative, and innovative leader to serve as the new Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department has a well-established and nationally recognized undergraduate education program and is seeking to expand its graduate research. The rapidly growing PhD program and recent facilities expansion and renovation will support this endeavor, and further strengthen Rowan University as it aims to attain the R1 Carnegie Research Designation.
The ECE Department is experiencing tremendous success in its undergraduate and graduate enrollment. This is driven by the sustained excellence of its established programs and the creation of new programs, including strategic partnerships with industry, such as Lockheed Martin, that couple six-month co-ops with tailored certificate credentials, as well as new curricular offerings such as the M.S. in Systems Engineering. The ECE Department currently has approximately 400 undergraduate students, 85 graduate students, 14 full-time faculty members, 2 full-time technical staff members, and 1 administrative staff member. Two of the full-time ECE faculty are IEEE Fellows. The ECE Department also leads a rapidly growing, major Rowan University research center, the Machine & Artificial Intelligence Virtual Reality Center (MAVRC).
The successful candidate will spearhead the ECE Department in sustaining and growing its programs, seeking and implementing new initiatives to advance research activity, increase external funding, as well as to grow student enrollment, and procure the hiring of outstanding faculty. To further the ECE Department mission of educational excellence, scholarly impact and research innovation, the new Department Head is expected to effectively lead and manage department operations, support students and innovate opportunities for experiential learning, recruit and mentor new tenure-track and teaching faculty, support and collaborate with the College and University in its overall mission, and engage alumni and other stakeholders in enhancing the department’s visibility and reach.
Required Qualifications
The successful candidate must possess the following qualifications:
• Earned a doctoral degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated an academic record of excellence in teaching, research, and service that is commensurate with the appointment at the rank of tenured Professor
• Demonstrated leadership experience in managing academic programs
• Demonstrated collaborative experience working with students, staff, faculty, alumni, industry, and other external stakeholders
• Demonstrated programmatic experience with ABET accreditation and curricular assessments
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should submit an application that includes:
• Cover Letter highlighting qualifications and rationale for the position
• Current detailed Curriculum Vitae
• Professional Summary of experience on teaching & education, research & mentoring, and service & leadership
• Vision Statement for leading the Rowan ECE department in education, research, engagement, and outreach
• References listing three to five names and their contact info
• Other Supporting Information (optional), which demonstrates rationale for the position, may be submitted as an Appendix.
Application must be submitted online at: https://jobs.rowan.edu/. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. All positions are contingent upon budget appropriations.
BENEFIT INFORMATION
For eligible employees, benefits include: comprehensive NJ State health, dental and retirement benefits, extensive accrued time off/paid holidays, and tuition reimbursement for employee, spouse, and dependents to attend Rowan University, Glassboro. (Tuition reimbursement will apply to undergraduate degrees only for spouses and dependents). For more detailed information, please visit: https://sites.rowan.edu/hr/benefits/.
SALARY
In compliance with The State of New Jersey's Pay Transparency Act, the annual base salary range for this position is $165,000.00 to $210,000.00. The University may consider higher compensation above this range based on verified experience, specialized skills, or other job-related factors, consistent with pay equity guidelines. When extending any salary offer, Rowan University considers many factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, work experience, education, training, key skills, internal equity, as well as market and other organizational considerations.”
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. All positions are contingent upon budget appropriations.
The anticipated start date is September 1, 2026, and the salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience. The successful candidate will be appointed at the rank of Professor with tenure in the department. Based on the level and impact of current research activities, the successful candidate may be considered for the John H. Mortimer Endowed Chair in Engineering.
Notes:
- Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the US, and the university will not sponsor an applicant for a work visa for this position.
- All positions are contingent upon budget appropriations.
About Rowan University and the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering
Located in southern New Jersey in the greater Philadelphia metro area, Rowan University is a comprehensive public institution, which celebrated its centennial in 2023. The university enrolls 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students in seventeen colleges and schools, including two independent medical schools. In 2013, the State of New Jersey designated Rowan University as a comprehensive research university, and in 2017, Rowan University was recognized as a Carnegie-classified R2 research institution. Rowan University is on track to becoming a Carnegie-classified R1 institution within the next 2-3 years. Rowan University has been recognized as one of the top 100 national public university and best value by the 2025 U.S. News & World Report, and as the fastest-growing public doctoral university in the Northeast and among the top ten in the nation by the 2025 Chronicle of Higher Education.
A national leader in engineering education, the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering was founded in 1995 and quickly gained national recognition for its innovative, multidisciplinary, experiential learning approach to engineering education. Since 2017, Rowan Engineering has doubled both its full-time faculty and its student population and has launched new Ph.D. programs, as well as other undergraduate and graduate programs. The College also opened Engineering Hall, the new home of the ECE Department, and completed a full renovation the original building, Rowan Hall. These projects tripled our available space and provided the College with state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities. The College currently enrolls over 2000 undergraduate and graduate students in six departments and has four major research centers, including the ECE’s Machine & Artificial Intelligence Virtual Reality Center (MAVRC).
Further information about the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is available at:
• College – https://engineering.rowan.edu/
• Department – https://engineering.rowan.edu/programs/electricalcomputer/
• MAVRC – https://engineering.rowan.edu/mavrc/
Contact Info
For questions related to this position, please contact the search committee chair, Dr. Ken Lau, laukk@rowan.edu.