Dr. Mark H. Weichold, dean and CEO of Texas A&M University at Qatar and Regents Professor of electrical engineering, has been elected a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Weichold was recognized by IEEE “for contributions to international development of engineering education.”
An electrical engineer, Weichold has worked for General Dynamics’ Fort Worth Division, Motorola in Austin, and the U.S. Army Electronic Technology and Devices Laboratory in Ft. Monmouth, N.J. His research interests include electron device fabrication process development, device design and characterization. He has been author of more than 80 journal articles, conference papers and scientific reports, and holds three U.S. patents.
Weichold joined the electrical engineering faculty at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, in 1982, where he has served as associate provost for undergraduate programs and academic services, dean of undergraduate programs, and associate provost for academic services. In 2009, he was named a Regents Professor for his outstanding work and exemplary contribution to Texas A&M and The Texas A&M University System.
In January 2007, he became dean and CEO of Texas A&M at Qatar. During his tenure as dean and CEO, enrollment has grown to more than 550 students, including 40 graduate students enrolled in two master’s degree programs. The faculty has increased to 81 and the research enterprise has grown to include 140 active projects. In 2009, its four undergraduate engineering programs were accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
The branch campus has produced more than 500 graduates, many of which have enrolled in top graduate schools around the world, including Stanford, MIT, Cal Tech, UC Berkeley, Imperial College, Cambridge, Illinois, Carnegie Melon, Michigan, and Waterloo, in addition to the main campus in College Station. Significantly, the undergraduate student population is 53 percent Qatari nationals and includes 38 percent female enrollees.
Texas A&M at Qatar has attracted an outstanding faculty with annual research funding of approximately $20 million and producing more than 250 archival publications each year. In addition, the research projects have produced more than two dozen patents and disclosures. Significantly, in partnership with local industries, Weichold has seen the establishment of the Qatar Petrochemical Company (QAPCO) Chair in Polymer Science and Engineering, currently held by Dr. Robert Grubbs, 2005 Nobel laureate in chemistry, and the Qatar Fertilizer Company (QAFCO) Chair in Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, currently held by the “Father of Green Chemistry” Dr. Paul Anastas.
Under Weichold’s leadership, the branch campus has also established itself as a presence in the community through its many engagement activities. Texas A&M at Qatar has put in place a Distinguished Lecture Series in which leading scholars, many of whom have been members of the national academies and even Nobel laureates, come to Qatar and contribute to the scholarly discourse within Education City. The branch campus has been instrumental in contributing to numerous conferences and symposia, including the Natural Gas Conversion Symposium, held for the first time in the Middle East in 2013. That same year, Texas A&M at Qatar also organized and hosted the first World Congress on Engineering Education which brought together international experts who focused on innovations needed to energize engineering educators and create a robust future for engineering education. Recognizing the important role teachers play in preparing the next generation of engineers and scientists, Texas A&M at Qatar in partnership with Maersk Oil Qatar, awarded the country’s first STEM Educator of the Year Award in 2014.
IEEE is the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through IEEE’s highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities.
IEEE Fellow is a distinction reserved for select IEEE members whose extraordinary accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest are deemed fitting of this prestigious grade elevation. The IEEE grade of fellow is conferred by the board of directors upon a person with an extraordinary record of accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest. The total number selected in any one year does not exceed one-tenth of one percent of the total voting institute membership.