Ghodssi named to new Clark School research and innovation position

Professor Reza Ghodssi has been named the inaugural Executive Director of Research and Innovation for the Clark School of Engineering at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland. The announcement was made by Clark School Dean and Nariman Farvardin Professor Samuel Graham, Jr., on Aug. 18.

Ghodssi, the Herbert Rabin Distinguished Chair in Engineering and Director of the MEMS Sensors and Actuators Lab in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Institute for Systems Research, will begin his new position on Sept. 1, 2022.

In this role, Ghodssi will lead the Clark School’s activities in Southern Maryland, initiating new state- and federally-funded research activities; creating partnerships with academic institutions, industry, and federal agencies; and developing outreach programs with the local community.

Ghodssi has a long history and extensive experience in interdisciplinary work. In addition to his joint appointments, he is affiliated with the Fischell Department of Bioengineering, the Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices, the Maryland NanoCenter, the Maryland Energy Innovation Institute, and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Ghodssi was director of the Institute for Systems Research for eight years. During his tenure as director he launched the Maryland Robotics Center and was a founding co-director of the university’s Brain and Behavior Initiative, now an Institute. 

A University of Maryland Distinguished Scholar-Teacher and Fellow of IEEE, ASME, and AVS, Ghodssi also is President of the Transducer Research Foundation. This international nonprofit organization has a mission to stimulate research in science and engineering, with emphasis on technologies related to transducers, microsystems, and nanosystems; and to foster the exchange of ideas and information between academic, industrial, and government researchers.

The Southern Maryland Autonomous Research and Technology (SMART) Building, Maryland Autonomous Technologies Research Innovation and Exploration (MATRIX) Lab, and UAS Test Site provide a significant national resource for research, development, and education in autonomous systems. These facilities also have become an important resource for the community in southern Maryland and collaborators at the Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Investment in the SMART Building and UAS Test Site creates an opportunity to grow a much-needed workforce in relevant technologies in Southern Maryland while providing leadership for the nation.

“Our technological resources and our great team in Southern Maryland will make so many exciting projects possible,” Ghodssi said. “I am excited to work with everyone in this new capacity.”

“This is a true opportunity for the Clark School to lead and enable significant opportunities for students, researchers, industry, and government partners across Maryland to work interactively on exciting and life-changing projects,” Graham said in his announcement. “We’re looking forward to our future in Southern Maryland, and growing our leadership in engineering research and innovation that addresses global challenges and societal problems.”

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