Officers
IACEE is governed by its Council and, between annual Council meetings, its Executive Committee. The Council consists of representatives of the four classes of Institutional membership, representatives of the Individual Members, the President, the Past President, the General Chair of the next World Conference, and the non-voting Secretary General. The administrative home for IACEE is in Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
IACEE Council 2024-2026
The IACEE Council for 2024-2026 was accepted by acclamation on 23 May 2024 during General Assembly at the 19th World Conference.
The Council Member listing below is in alphabetical order. An asterisk (*) next to a name indicates a member of the Executive Committee.
Dr. Tamer Atabarut
VP of Program & Research Inititatives
Bogazici University
Istanbul, Turkey
Connect on LinkedIn
Tamer is the Director of Lifelong Learning Center at Bogazici University in Turkey and a EUCEN Steering Committee Member.
Ragna Ann is the Head of Section at the Centre for Continuing Education and Professional Development at NTNU. Her team delievers services to all faculties at NTNU in the area of continuing and further education and also offer professional conference services to NTNU faculties and our close partners.
Ragna Ann holds that engineering education is one of the key knowledge areas towards a sustainable future, and CEE is bringing important knowledge and understanding to the working life. Being a part of that gives real meaning to the work she does NTNU.
ENGINEERS EUROPE is the European Engineers Federation, based in Brussels, representing the interests of some 6 million engineers from 33 countries of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Dirk was elected Secretary General back in 2010 and has meanwhile widened the network over the last 14 years from 27 to 33 National Member countries, designed a National Members Forum, co-organizes the European Engineers Day, developed the European Engineering Education Database and established the European Engineering Skills Council as a formal consortium of stakeholders from academia, industry and engineering associations. Holding a Masters Degree in Ancient History (Ghent, BE) and an MBA in Total Quality Management (Seattle, USA) Dirk represents the interests of the engineering profession to the EU Institutions, for instance with regard to the recognition of engineering qualifications.
Since the late 1980’s, ENGINEERS EUROPE issues the EUR ING certificate, a privately issued degree which can be obtained by engineers after having successfully completed their engineering studies in combination with a few years of professional experience. The certificate is valid for 5 years, after which evidence of CPD needs to be provided in order to extend the validity of the certificate. The EUR ING is an important and recognized instrument for engineers who wish to work in different countries in Europe.
Patricia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechatronics, specializing in Power Transmission, Sustainability and Energy Efficiency. She is a member of the National System of Researchers (SNI) of the Mexican Council of Educational Research (CONACYT), and she leads projects in the area of educational innovation, Teaching-Learning strategies, and Critical Thinking, Cognitive Flexibility, and development of soft skills in engineering.
She is interested in researching the influence of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on the design of CEE programs (Continuing Education in Engineering): what skills and abilities should engineer workers acquire to avoid obsolescence and ensure employability; and how to effectively incorporate Multicultural, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion perspectives into CEE programs.
Dr. Sabrina Casucci *
VP of Organizational Excellence
University at Buffalo, SUNY
Buffalo, New York, USA
Connect on LinkedIn
Sabrina is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering at the University at Buffalo. She is a former Director of the Engineering Management master degree program at the University at Buffalo.
Her research interests focus on designing more effective health systems, informatics, and aging to improve equity and accessibility. She continues to develop high-quality online, hybrid, and traditional style courses for graduate and professional students focused on process improvement, healthcare engineering and general engineering management.
Soma leads the strategic engagement of Ansys with engineering education professional organizations networks, thus utilizing such networks for building symbiotic partnerships development with higher education institutions for inspiring engineering education programs that develops the future generation of engineering workforce.
She believes it is imperative that engineers become lifelong learners and continue to apply new knowledge and skills to build a sustainable and equitable world.
Anita works at Engageli as Managing Director building their partner success and strategy North America models and processes with digital data strategies. She has architected and implemented educational systems with sustainable business models at scale while serving in leadership roles at Arizona State University and Purdue Online.
She is a higher education business and operations leader, university revenue growth strategist with deep focus on technology, student experience, partnerships, and innovation.
Cheng is the Founder of DT School and Outstanding International Education Investment Ltd.
He is a design thinker, an entrepreneur and master trainer of Designing Your Life. He loves to help people and organizations to achieve their full potential through innovation and entrepreneurship education and training.
Thilo is a full Professor of Technical Didactics at Muenster University of Applied Sciences (MUAS), Germany. He is the Academic Director of Didactics of higher education in the Centre of Quality Development at MUAS, called Wandelwerk. He teaches vocational teacher students in didactics and vocational education and offers continuing education programs for all professors at MUAS.
He is interested in innovative approaches in teaching and learning, especially engineering education. He works with agile methods like booksprint, Design Thinking, Maker Education and Lego Serious Play. Let us light a fire in education!
Hans is the Academic Director of the TU Berlin Academy for Professional Education, a recently (2023) launched new organization aiming at professionals in STEM fields with the need for up- and reskilling. Until his retirement he was a full professor for computer science and for many years vice president for education, digitalization and sustainability at Technical University Berlin, Germany.
He has served in many national and international academic organizations in the areas of computer science and engineering education and quality assurance. He believes that universities should become life-long education partners for their graduates and should enhance their missions with more offerings in continuing education.
Aniko is Associate Professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Hungary, and Research Professor at the Karoli University (Digital Learning and Innovation).
Her research fields include lifelong learning, staff development, adult education, digital pedagogy, the Knowledge Triangle and the new ecosystem of learning.
Chris LaBelle is the Executive Director of Online and Professional Education for the University of Michigan's College of Engineering. As the organization's executive director and strategic leader, he partners with campus and community stakeholders to address the needs of online credit and noncredit learners through innovative programs and delivery models.
Passionate about continuing engineering education, Chris aims to create innovative and accessible opportunities that enhance the skills and knowledge of engineers and technical professionals. Under his leadership, Nexus has expanded its course offerings and partnerships, impacting engineering education globally
Souki currently serves as Director of Educational Partnerships at Purdue University- Office of Industry Partnerships - where she leads initiatives to align academic programs with industry needs, fostering impactful collaborations.
A seasoned professional with a rich blend of experience in higher education and global business strategy, her expertise encompasses project management, data analytics, finance and global strategy. She brings a global perspective, financial and technical acumen to every role she undertakes.
Amy is the online program director for UB School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) where she leads diverse teams to deliver credit-based and professional development programs for nontraditional students, while maintaining a focus on industry-relevance and providing graduates the chance to advance their careers and potential. Amy also serves as the senior learning program officer at the State University of New York (SUNY) Digital Innovation & Academic Services (DIAS) where she focuses on expanding educational opportunities across the globe through Massive Open Online Courses.
She has worked in leadership positions within the United States House of Representatives, Northrop Grumman defense systems, and western NY’s world affairs council and center for international visitors. She is motivated by others and their contributions to shape the future of an inclusive and innovative field of engineering education. Amy is the recipient of the 2024 IACEE Award for Individual Leadership in Continuing Engineering Education given in honor of Joseph M. Biedenbach.
Bente is an Associate Professor at Aalborg University in the Center for Problem-based Learning in Engineering Science and Sustainability under the auspices of UNESCO. She is associated with the cross-faculty Institute of Advanced Studies in PBL. She has a background in problem-based learning with a particular interest in continuing education within STEM, capacity building and management of change.
Her research within continuing education contributes to a reform strategy by combining Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Engineering Education Research (EER). She has published several papers within these areas and has given several international presentations and workshops.
As the Assistant Dean for Operations & Strategic Initiatives, Kylene oversees the Center for Advanced Engineering Education, Communications, Engineering Technical Services, as well as spearheading various significant strategic initiatives for University of Connecticut's College of Engineering. She is responsible for building and nurturing industry relationships, fostering collaboration with various high-level stakeholders and agencies for federal and state opportunities for the College.
Kylene has overseen the continuing engineering educational programs for the UConn College of Engineering since 2017, leading efforts and evolution to a full Center for Advanced Engineering Education in Fall 2023. It is Kylene’s interest to continue to work closely with the UConn CAEE team to increase strategic activities to support the center’s growth and revenue generation.
Rob is the Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director of Product and Finance for the Stanford Center for Professional Development (SCPD). SCPD is responsible for working with Stanford faculty and instructors, departments, schools, and centers to create and extend engaging, best-in-class online, in-person, and blended Stanford learning experiences.
He works at the intersection of strategy, process, and policy, leveraging innovative technologies and data to transform the organization’s products, services and business processes. His teams manage the full pipeline required to develop, design and deliver learning experience.
Stephen Ruffin *
Co-VP of Partnerships, North America
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA, USA
Connect on LinkedIn
Steve is the Executive Director (Interim) and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs of Georgia Tech Professional Education (GTPE). As the global campus arm of Georgia Tech, GTPE offers professional development courses, certificate programs, and online master’s degrees in a variety of formats to meet the needs of working professionals and industry partners.
In these roles and as Professor of Aerospace Engineering at Georgia Tech, Steve develops and promotes for new and existing degrees, certificates, and other credential pathways. He is passionate about work in expanding access to broader audiences in these programs and in STEM educational experiences.
Katriina is a senior advisor in the consultancy company HRPLUS Oy. She has previously worked in industry (KONE Corp & Nokia), TEK (Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland) and as a member of academic staff in universities. Her own life-wide learning covers degrees in electrical engineering, quality management and technology additionally to the teachers’ pedagogic qualification.
Throughout her career she has been active in national and international co-operation to develop education, and has published over 80 papers about attractiveness, quality and pedagogy.
Ellen is professor of Sustainable Talent Development at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, the Netherlands. Her research focus areas are professional development/HRD, lifelong learning, boundary-crossing learning communities, and educational innovation.
She has published books for the vocational practice and has published in various scientific journals. She participates in (inter)national networks aiming at the renewal of learning and development for complex transitions.
Christopher Smith *
Co-VP of Partnerships, Europe
Glasgow Caledonian University
Scotland
Connect on LinkedIn
Chris is a Senior Lecturer in the Institute for University to Business Education at Glasgow Caledonian University. He leads on the co-design, development, delivery and leadership of innovative continuing education programmes, particularly with a work-based learning underpinning. He is the Framework lead for the suite of Enhanced Practice programmes that afford flexible progression from informal and CPD into formal academic qualifications.
He believes in more flexible educational options to widen access and opportunity, and sees Continuing Engineering Education as a pathway to achieve this. His research is focused around innovative educational approaches. Chris is the Co-Chair of SEFI’s Special Interest Group on Continuing Engineering Education and Lifelong Learning and SEFI’s representative on IACEE Council.
Tony serves as Lead Researcher for SERinA Sustainability Research Project.
He enjoys qualitative research and investigating the extent to which and how Engineering Learning Curricula (ELC) incorporate and embed sustainability as central to the work of all engineers, be it in planning, practice or policy, within the education, private and public practice sectors.
IACEE Presidents - 1989 to Present
1. 1989-1995 John P. Klus, University of Wisconsin - Madison, USA
2. 1995-1998 Javier Jimenez, Espriu UNAM, Mexico
3. 1998-2001 Frank E. Burris, University of California, USA
4. 2001-2004 Alfredo Soeiro, University of Porto, Portugal
5. 2004-2008 Mervyn E. Jones, Imperial College London, UK
6. 2008-2009 Flemming K. Fink, Aarhus University, Denmark
7. 2009-2014 Nelson C. Baker, Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
8. 2014-2016 Kim Scalzo, State University of New York, USA
9. 2016-2024 Soma Chakrabarti, University of Delaware, US; University of Wisconsin-Madison, US; ANSYS Granta, UK
10. 2024-2026 Robert Prakash, Stanford University, USA