Dean, School of Engineering & Computer Science
Oakland University
Louay M. Chamra, Ph.D., is Dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Science at Oakland University. He is responsible for shaping academic priorities and programs, attracting and supporting outstanding faculty, recruiting undergraduate and graduate students, and providing global education for students. He oversees the development of collaborations with industry through research initiatives, technology transfer and commercialization.
Dr. Chamra promotes a diverse and enriching culture within the School of Engineering. Dr. Chamra leads an ambitious strategic plan, which resulted in increased student enrollment, faculty, and student advisors. Additionally, female student enrollment has more than doubled in the last five years increasing from 8 percent to 17 percent in Engineering and Computer Science.
Dr. Chamra was awarded the Engineering Society of Detroit 2019 Distinguished Service Award for exemplary service and contributions to the Engineering Society of Detroit and/or for professional distinction. He is a strong advocate of the community, and he believes that higher education should contribute to the prosperity of the communities it serves. He is a member of the American Society of Engineering Education, Engineering Society of Detroit, and the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society. He initiated robust outreach opportunities that encourage young children of all backgrounds to pursue college study in the STEM fields.
Prior to joining Oakland University, He was the PACCAR Chair and Head of the Mechanical Engineering department at Mississippi State University (MSU) where he also served as the Director of the Micro-CHP and Bio-Fuel Center and Co-Director for the Southeast CHP Application Center.
Dr. Chamra has been deeply involved in teaching, research, and service activities focused on the enhancement of engineering education. Throughout his career, he received numerous awards such as the Pi Tau Sigma award, which recognizes excellence in higher education. He has also been recognized for outstanding leadership and contribution to promoting diversity in higher education. Additionally, Dr. Chamra received the 2013 Oakland University International Service Award for his efforts to recruit international students. He has done extensive research in heat exchanger design and enhanced heat transfer, and has led efforts in energy utilization and efficiency. He was Principal Investigator on several projects funded by the Department of Energy, American Society of Heating, refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers, and private industries in many of the above areas. He has been PI, co-PI or co-investigator of projects totaling over $10 million. He is the author of more than 70 archival journal articles and conference papers, a book, and 5 textbook chapters.
Dr. Chamra earned his bachelor of science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1982. Later he received his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Portland in 1988 and Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 1992.