ADMINISTRATION
Guided the department through 2000 accreditation under EC 2000 criteria with very positive comments. Several curriculum development and improvement activities were undertaken and successfully implemented.
Although student evaluations are being used extensively for summative purposes, the need for some other method of review or evaluation to supplement it for strengthening its formative capabilities has been recognized for a long time. In response to this need, the university has established a peer teaching review system acceptable to the faculty and administrators. G. Padmanabhan, the chair, was a member of the University Peer Teaching Review Ad-hoc Committee which did the spade work to develop the system for the campus.
Responsible for developing and getting approved the Ph.D program in Civil Engineering. Also responsible as part of a group to establish interdisciplinary Ph. D programs in Environmental and Conservation Sciences, Transportation and Logistics, and Natural Resources management. As a Chair, encouraged the faculty to participate in these programs in a meaningful mutually beneficial way.
As a Chair was responsible and instrumental for submission of proposals and obtaining funding for one university-wide major educational outreach to Native Americans, and two other scholarship programs.
As a Chair, encouraged professional societies student chapter activities in the department in a big and systematic way. As a result we have now very active ASCE, ITE, WEF, SWE, MRS, EWB, and AISES student chapters. Some of the chapters have won national awards.
As a first priority after assuming chairmanship, developed a strategy for increasing the visibility of the department. Now, the department has a high visibility on and off campus.