College of Engineering dean named president of Spelman College

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College of Engineering dean named president of Spelman College

Howard advanced research excellence and improved student success

Ayanna Howard, the Monte Ahuja Endowed Dean's Chair and the 23rd dean of The Ohio State University's College of Engineering, has been announced as the next president of Spelman College in Atlanta. Howard will continue to serve in the College of Engineering and will join Spelman on Aug. 1.

"I wish Dean Howard tremendous success in her next endeavor as president of Spelman College," said Trevor Brown, interim executive vice president and provost. "I have been privileged to work with Dean Howard since her arrival at the university in 2021, and I know that her commitment to excellence, innovation and entrepreneurship will be a tremendous asset to the students, faculty and staff of Spelman."

An accomplished roboticist, entrepreneur and educator, Howard became dean of the College of Engineering in 2021. During her tenure, the college launched several engineering research centers, including three NSF-funded centers: AI Edge Institute, AI Institute for Intelligent Cyberinfrastructure with Computational Learning in the Environment (ICICLE), and Imageomics Institute.

Also under Howard's leadership, the College of Engineering has significantly improved its financial position and strengthened its fundraising efforts while also focusing on bolstering faculty eminence. In 2024, three faculty members were selected for the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the largest cohort in university history, and two were named to the NAE in 2023.

In addition, the college has set new records for first-year undergraduate retention and has improved its six-year graduation rate.

Ohio State's undergraduate engineering program ranked 28th overall and first in Ohio, according to U.S. News & World Report. The graduate program ranked 28th overall, once again first in Ohio and 14th among public universities, according to U.S. News.

The university is ranked among the top 25 best value engineering bachelor's programs by Value Colleges. The College of Engineering ranks fourth in the country for industry research and development expenditures, according to the National Science Foundation.

"I am excited for this opportunity to serve the students, faculty and staff at Spelman College as their new president, and I want to thank the incredible community at Ohio State and in the College of Engineering for the success we have achieved," Howard said.

Howard will join Spelman as the 12th president in the college's history.

Founded in 1881 as the Atlanta Baptist Female Seminary, it became Spelman College in 1924. A historically Black college, Spelman is a global leader in the education of women of African descent, is dedicated to academic excellence in the liberal arts and sciences, and the intellectual, creative, ethical and leadership development of its students.

More will be shared about transition plans soon as Ohio State prepares to conduct a national search for the next dean of the College of Engineering.

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