Shiu-Kai Chin named interim dean of L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science

Shiu-Kai Chin named interim dean of L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer ScienceMay 24, 2006Kelly Homan Rodoskikahoman@syr.edu

Shiu-Kai Chin, professor of electrical and computer engineering in Syracuse University’s L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS), director of the college’s computer engineering program and director of the University’s CASE Center, has been named interim dean of ECS, effective June 1. Chin will serve the college as Douglas D. Danforth Dean Eric F. Spina moves to the Office of Academic Affairs, where he has been named the University’s interim vice chancellor and provost.

“Shiu Kai is the ideal candidate to lead the college during this period,” says Spina. “He is widely respected by the faculty, highly regarded by people across campus, and is well known and an integral part of the larger Central New York technical community. His outstanding credentials in teaching, research and service will serve him well during this important period.”

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be named interim dean of ECS,” says Chin. “During this time of transition my goal is to continue Eric Spina’s efforts to move the college forward. I owe a lot to ECS and SU, and this is an opportunity to give back to a college that has given so much to me.”

Chin received a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering (1975), and a master’s degree (1978) and Ph.D. (1986) in electrical engineering, all from ECS. He was a senior engineer and program manager at the General Electric Electronics Laboratory in Liverpool before beginning his teaching career at SU. At GE, Chin designed several products, including a specialized computer for radars and a memory manager for a heart imaging system similar to a CAT scanner. He is a graduate of GE’s Advanced Course in Engineering.

He joined the SU faculty as an assistant professor in 1986 and was promoted to associate professor in 1992 and to professor in 1999. Since 1995, Chin has also served as a research scientist at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, N.Y.

For the past eight years, Chin has served as director of the CASE Center, a New York State-designated Center for Advanced Technology that plays a leading role in transferring technology, incubating new technology companies and providing technology direction in Central New York. He will remain as CASE director during the interim period. Chin also maintains an active research program and has been at the forefront of developments in the field of information technology over the last decade.

Chin was honored in 1994 with the Crouse Hinds Award for Excellence in Education from ECS. In 1997, he was appointed a Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor for Teaching Excellence — SU’s highest teaching honor. As a Meredith Professor, Chin sought to find out what were the lessons of lasting value to students at Syracuse University. That exploration vaulted him into a leadership role on the All-University Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee (AUSLOAC). In 2002, he received a Chancellor’s Citation for Outstanding Contributions to the University’s Academic Programs. He was the recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Award from SU’s Alumni Association in 2005 and currently serves as the University’s Associate Marshal.

In addition to his many contributions to SU, Chin is actively involved in the greater Syracuse community. He served for six years as a commissioner on the Onondaga County/City of Syracuse Human Rights Commission. He is co-chair of the advisory board of the Community Wide Dialogue Against Racism; treasurer for WCNY, Central New York’s public broadcasting station; and a trainer in the Alternatives to Violence Project at Auburn Correctional Facility. He is also an officer or board member of several community organizations.