The University of Guelph is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Moncef Nehdi, as Dean, College of Engineering and Physical Sciences (CEPS).
An experienced academic leader, Nehdi comes to U of G from McMaster University where he has served as chair of the Department of Civil Engineering since 2022. Prior to that appointment, Nehdi was a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Western University from 2007 to 2021.
Nehdi, an award-winning researcher and educator, holds a PhD in civil engineering from the University of British Columbia and is a fellow of several Canadian and international engineering institutes.
“I am honoured to be chosen as the next dean of the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at U of G,” Nehdi says. “I’m excited by the unique opportunity CEPS presents to champion transformative leadership and train professionals for the global grand challenges our world faces and look forward to collaboratively envisioning the future of the college.”
In his vision for CEPS, Nehdi’s goals including developing consultive and open administration, rethinking pedagogy in teaching, strengthening research excellence, advancing internationalism and prioritizing resource management and fiscal responsibility.
Fostering U of G excellence in STEM
Nehdi brings an established record of fostering excellence in higher education and advancing equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenization efforts. At McMaster, Nehdi increased the number of women faculty in his department, exceeding the goal of 30 per cent by 2030. He founded initiatives to braid Indigenous knowledge in teaching and research and advanced IEDI training in his department.
A prolific author, Nehdi has written more than 470 research publications and was listed by Elsevier and the Shanghai Global Ranking in the world’s top 60 most impactful civil engineers. Nehdi is well positioned to advance U of G’s reputation as a leader in sustainability research with his expertise in sustainable construction, artificial intelligence and machine learning in civil engineering.
The College of Engineering and Physical Sciences offers a wide range of programming that spans STEM disciplines within five academic units: the departments of chemistry, physics, mathematics and statistics, as well as the schools of computer science and engineering.
CEPS actions U of G’s philosophy to “Improve Life” through academic excellence and interdisciplinary research, with a vision to be recognized as a leader in innovative and influential solutions for our world through computer science, engineering, mathematics and physical sciences.
“As dean, Dr. Nehdi will build on the college’s commitment to providing comprehensive, meaningful learning experiences for undergraduate and graduate students, as well as deepening our global impact through research outcomes that can advance our society and help solve complex global challenges,” says Dr. Gwen Chapman, provost and vice-president (academic).
Nehdi’s five-year appointment will commence Sept. 1, 2024.