Georgia Southern University announced yesterday the appointment of Dr. Mohammad Davoud, Ph. D in Mechanical Engineering, as the first dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology.

“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Mohammad Davoud to the position of Founding Dean for the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Information Technology,” Provost Jean Bartels said in an email.

“The application process that was facilitated by Parker’s Search from Atlanta, and we had a good number of candidates,” Dean of College of Education Dr. Thomas Koballa said.

“From that large number, the committee reviewed all of the (candidates). We then met in August, and we reduced that number to eight candidates,” Koballa said.

“We conducted airport interviews with the eight candidates. From those airport interviews, four of the eight to invite to the campus for a two-day interview process,” Koballa said.

An airport interview is when a candidate flies in to meet with the interview committee at the airport or location near the airport and flies back out after the interview is complete.

“The committee provided a ranking of the four candidates that were invited for campus interviews to the Provost. Our recommendation went to the provost as a recommendation, and then from there it was the provost’s decision,” Koballa said.

Required qualifications included a proven Ph.D in engineering or any related field, a distinguished record of achievements in teaching and high standards of professional integrity, according to the letter sent by the search committee.

Other qualifications that the committee was looking for in the founding dean of CEIT included academic experience as a department head, proven ability to build partnerships and a commitment to collaboration across the academic colleges and internal administrative units and other college bodies, according to the letter.

“Dr. Davoud enjoyed strong faculty and staff, Search Committee and Dean’s Council support for this role following the search process leading to his appointment,” Bartels said.

Davoud previously served as interim dean of CEIT and will shed the interim title today.

“I am very pleased that he has agreed to take on this new role and am confident he will be a strong leader capable of moving CEIT to its next level of excellence,” Bartels said.

Davoud earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical engineering from Oklahoma State University as well as his Masters of Science.