Dean Mun Choi recently announced the appointment of Dr. Jun-Hong (“June”) Cui as Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies & Diversity. Dr. Cui is an associate professor of Computer Science & Engineering and the first woman in the School’s history to be named to a top administrative post.
In sharing the news, Dean Choi praised Dr. Cui’s accomplishments, saying “June brings a refreshing perspective, a superb record of scholarly achievement, and experience to the position of Assistant Dean, and we are delighted that she has accepted this larger role.”
Dean Choi also announced an enlargement of duties for two other officers. Dr. Kazem Kazerounian will assume additional duties in his expanded role as Associate Dean for Research & Strategic Initiatives, and Mr. Marty Wood will take on additional duties in his expanded role as Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education & Diversity. All three are profiled below.
Dr. Cui is one of just five United Technologies Corporation (UTC) Professors in Engineering Innovation within the School of Engineering and co-Director of the Underwater Sensor Network Laboratory. Dr. Cui earned her Ph.D. in computer engineering from UCLA in 2003 and joined the CSE faculty the same year. In 2008, she garnered one of just 27 Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Program awards presented to researchers nationwide. In 2007, she was awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award. Both awards build upon her existing body of work in underwater acoustic sensor networks. This research involves the design, modeling, and performance evaluation of networks and distributed systems. In particular, she is interested in underwater sensor networks (UWSNs) for a variety of scientific, commercial and military applications, such as ocean monitoring, pollution detection, off-shore oil/gas drilling, commercial fishing operations, anti-submarine warfare and battle space environmental monitoring. Dr. Cui has more than 20 scholarly archival journal publications and book chapters, more than 50 refereed conference proceedings papers, and more than $3 million in external grant support. She serves on the editorial board of the Elsevier Ad Hoc Networks Journal, was the founder of the ACM International Workshop on Underwater Networks (WUWNet), a premier publication venue for underwater communication and networking), and currently serves as its Steering Committee Chair.
Dr. Kazerounian received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois, Chicago and has held numerous leadership roles throughout his 25 years at UConn. He is an elected representative on the University Senate (2008-2011), and has served on numerous University-level committees, including the Provost’s Research Equipment Competition Committee, Research Advisory Council, Faculty Review Board, and Review Panel for Intercampus Research Grants. At the School level, he chairs the School of Engineering Academic Plan 2009-2014 committee, and he previously served as Associate Dean for Research & Outreach from 1998-2001. In addition, he was Director of the Advanced Technologies Institute (ATI) from 1999-2001. Nationally, he chairs the ASME Design Division Executive Committee and has chaired several major national and international conferences and technical committees.
He has served on the editorial boards of the ASME Applied Mechanics Review and ASME Journal of Medical Devices and has been Associate Editor of both the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design and the Journal of Mechanisms and Machine Theory. In addition, he is an ASME Fellow and the recipient of the ASME Design Division Mechanisms and Robotics Award (2006), the George Wood Award (1997), and the ABB Outstanding Faculty Award (1997). He was inducted into the Connecticut Academy of Science & Engineering (CASE) in 2008.
Mr. Wood received his B.S. from Auburn University in 1971 and his M.S. degree from UConn in 1987. He had distinguished, 21-year career in the U.S. Navy Submarine Force and later joined the Mechanical Engineering department as a lecturer. Mr. Wood was promoted to Assistant Department Head in 1989, to Associate Department Head in 1991, and to Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Education in 2000. He directs the undergraduate program and is responsible for the School of Engineering’s undergraduate recruitment, retention and outreach initiatives. He represents the School on the Associate Dean’s Council, on the Community College of Technology Advisory Board and serves as the Vice President ofthe Connecticut Invention Convention. He serves as the faculty advisor for the engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi, and the National Society of Black Engineers. Professionally, he is a member of ASME, ASEE and SAE.
