Dean

Drexel University has appointed Eunice E. Santos, PhD, as the inaugural dean of the College of Engineering and Computing (CoEC), effective August 1, 2026. Dr. Santos will also hold appointments as the inaugural Thomas E. and Christine D. Berk Endowed Professor and Distinguished University Professor of Computer Science.

Dr. Santos joins Drexel from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she served as dean of the School of Information Sciences from 2019 to 2025. A nationally recognized scholar in computational social systems, she is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). She holds a PhD in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Throughout her career, Dr. Santos has held senior academic and administrative leadership roles at institutions including Virginia Tech, Lehigh University, the University of Texas at El Paso, and Illinois Institute of Technology. Her work spans engineering, computing, information sciences, and health-related research, with a focus on interdisciplinary education, research growth, and innovation.

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