The University of Dubuque Names Jodi Prosise Inaugural Director of Engineering

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Jodi Prosise, PhD, a mechanical and biomedical engineer, has been named the inaugural director of engineering at the University of Dubuque. She will lead UD in developing the next generation of student engineers equipped to innovate and lead in a rapidly changing world. Prosise will begin serving in this role on Monday, June 1, 2026.

"I'm beyond excited to welcome Dr. Jodi Prosise to the Spartans community. Her ability to mix vision with action and technology with people will be invaluable as she helps lead us through the accreditation process as well as the actual development of an innovative engineering program," said Adam Hoffman, PhD, vice president for academic affairs at UD. "Dr. Prosise's ability to build connections with students and industry partners will serve the University of Dubuque and the tri-state area community well."

A $35 million legacy gift from Joseph (C'68, DHL'98) and Linda (HON'23) Chlapaty announced in October 2025, as part of UD's Momentum Campaign, launched the initial steps towards an engineering program intentionally designed to respond to the rapidly evolving technological landscape shaping the region's needs. An application for the engineering program - the first new undergraduate department on campus in over a decade - was submitted earlier this year to the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is under review.

"The program has been purposely developed to tap into the strength of the talent already present in the greater Dubuque area and across the state of Iowa," said Travis Frampton, PhD, president of UD. "The remarkable growth of high school robotics programs and STEM initiatives throughout the region, combined with the inspiring leadership and participation of students in Dubuque, made it clear that there is extraordinary talent developing in our own backyard. The University of Dubuque recognizes that while attracting new talent to Iowa is important, there is also a responsibility to recognize, nurture, and retain the exceptional talent that is already here. This engineering program is therefore structured not only to prepare students for the national job market, but also to respond directly to the workforce demands unique to Iowa and the tri-state manufacturing economy."

One of the engineering program's central goals is to develop talent for existing industry in the tri-state region. UD aims to build a stronger pipeline connecting local and state high schools with regional industry needs, ensuring that the innovation, curiosity, and technical ability emerging in Iowa classrooms can translate into meaningful opportunities for students and sustainable economic vitality for our region. As AI, robotics, and advanced automation increasingly transform production systems, the tri-state region of Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois faces a growing need for engineers who can design, manage, and improve these complex technologies.

Prosise will coordinate designing, developing, and launching an industry-driven four-year engineering program with specialized tracks in fall 2027, pending HLC approval. The first phase of that effort will be creating an advisory board that she will work with to develop partnerships and explore industry workforce needs. Prosise will also collaborate with departments across campus as she creates a cohesive curriculum that will develop mission-driven engineers.

"I absolutely love engineering education. Developing the next generation of people who will design, build, and improve everything in our world is exciting and enormously gratifying," Prosise said. "Our world is changing at a pace that we can barely keep up with. Creating an engineering program from scratch will allow the creation of engineers that can better adjust and change to the world around us. Being a new program will provide the opportunity to build structures and curricula that remain flexible and responsive to the evolving needs of students, industry, and society."

The engineering program is anticipated to begin with concentrations in mechanical engineering and electrical engineering, providing students with strong foundational training while preparing them to work across interdisciplinary technological systems. Consistent with UD's commitment to developing the whole student, the program will place students at the center of the learning experience, emphasizing collaborative problem-solving, applied learning, and ethical leadership.

A key component of this environment will be the Chlapaty Center for Innovation, a space designed for students from all academic programs to generate ideas, build prototypes, and work together in peer learning communities. An engineering laboratory will have a presence within this facility, allowing engineering students to collaborate with peers across disciplines as they design solutions to real-world challenges and contribute to the innovation capacity of the region.

"It's always been a dream of mine to create something different," Prosise said. "Something that is focused on students' educational needs. Something that blends the technical with the social and ethical. Something that is collaborative across disciplines."

Prosise's career in academia began when she was hired into the Industrial Engineering program at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, and helped to start the university's Mechanical Engineering program. She served as chair of St. Ambrose's Department of Engineering and Physics from 2015 to 2019 before taking a position as chair of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in Platteville, Wisconsin. Prosise also served as associate dean of the College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Science at UW-Platteville, where she has been a full professor since 2019. She has brief work experience in the manufacturing and design setting.

One of the initiatives Prosise was excited to complete as chair of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Engineering at UW-Platteville was the strategic transformation of the industrial advisory board.

"All engineering programs have advisory boards made up of engineers from local and regional industry. They provide input as constituents to engineering programs. However, most advisory boards have very passive roles," Prosise said. "I worked to strategically enhance the composition of the advisory board to have members who engage several times a year in meaningful projects that drive the program forward. I hope to do this at UD as well."

Prosise holds a doctorate of philosophy in biomedical engineering from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2020 and a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, in 2003. The primary focus in her career has been education.

"I've done a lot of work in outreach - trying to get kids, especially young girls, interested in STEM careers," Prosise said. "I take a hands-on, experiential, inquiry-based approach to all classes that I teach. For research, I am primarily interested in assistive technologies and rehabilitation devices. I always work to get undergraduate students involved in my research."

UD faculty and the Board of Trustees voted in fall 2025 to approve the development of an engineering program that would prepare students for in-demand careers and leverage existing strengths to unlock opportunities. An application for ABET accreditation for the new engineering program will be submitted after the first cohort of UD engineering students graduate in spring 2031.

"It is reassuring having Dr. Prosise at the helm of this new engineering program, helping future engineering students grow in their entrepreneurial mindsets and preparing them to thrive in tomorrow's workforce," Hoffman said.

Prosise and her husband, Eric, live in DeWitt, Iowa. Their oldest daughter, Anna, will be attending the University of Missouri-St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri, in fall 2026 to major in biology and play softball. Their youngest, Nora, will be in ninth grade and enjoys playing trumpet and participating in competitive swimming.