Gergely Záruba, professor and director of the undergraduate computer engineering program at the University of Texas at Arlington, will join the Wichita State College of Engineering as a professor and department chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), effective August 13, 2018.

Professor Záruba will work with EECS students, faculty and staff to advance the education and research initiatives of the department, one of WSU's largest departments with more than 700 undergraduate students and 200 graduate students. EECS offers B.S. degrees in electrical engineering, computer engineering and computer science; M.S. degrees in electrical engineering, computer science and computer networking; and a PhD in electrical engineering and computer science.

“I am honored to have been selected to join the EECS faculty,” Záruba said. “I look forward to partnering with the students, faculty and staff to develop a shared vision to advance this WSU topflight department.”

As department chair, Záruba will also represent EECS to the academic community, alumni, and industry. Additionally, he will promote diversity within the department and provide avenues for faculty, staff and student development.

Professor Záruba's career is distinguished. He has two patents and has published over 70 journal/conference papers. His research has been extensively funded by industry and government agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Energy and National Institute of Justice.

Záruba earned his M.S. degree in computer engineering (technical informatics engineering) from The Technical University of Budapest (now: Budapest University of Technology and Economics) and received his computer science PhD from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Royce Bowden, WSU College of Engineering dean, said the members of the department chair search committee and the EECS faculty, staff, and students conducted a superb search.

“I am extremely pleased to welcome Dr. Gergely Záruba to the college as the Department Chair of EECS,” Bowden said. “He brings a wealth of experience to the position and will be a great addition to the faculty, a tremendous colleague and a visionary leader.”

Záruba follows John Watkins, who served nine dedicated years as the EECS department chair. Watkins, an expert in the field of control systems, will remain on the WSU engineering faculty to teach and conduct research in this important area.

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