[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/shoukri.jpg” caption=”Mamdouh Shoukri”]Engineering dean Mamdouh Shoukri has been appointed to the position of vice-president research and international affairs effective July 1. His appointment, for a five-year term, was approved by McMaster's Board of Governors last week.

As vice-president, Shoukri will be responsible for research activities within the University and for the aggressive pursuit of new partnerships, nationally and internationally, designed to capitalize on McMaster's significant research strengths.

University President and chair of the selection committee, Peter George, said that the unanimous recommendation to appoint Shoukri was not surprising considering his outstanding administrative and leadership record  most recently as the dean of engineering.

“The profile of our engineering Faculty has been raised significantly under Dr. Shoukri's leadership,” said George. “The industrial partnerships he helped to establish, the research centres he helped to create, and the new recruits he had the foresight to hire, are just a few of his accomplishments. He has enhanced the Faculty's reputation as one of the most outstanding, research-intensive engineering schools in the country. I am anxious for him to apply his leadership skills toward the University's research enterprise.”

Shoukri has been the dean of engineering at McMaster since 1994 and, prior to that, served as the chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering for four years. An expert in energy conversion and utilization, nuclear reactor thermal-hydraulics and nuclear safety research, Shoukri came to McMaster in 1984 after seven years in the nuclear industry with Ontario Hydro. He is a fellow of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Research and a consultant to a number of Canadian and U.S.companies.

He succeeds Gerhard Gerber whose term as vice-president ends June 30.