University News

Zoghi Appointed Provost and VP for Academic Affairs at WIU

May 25, 2022

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MACOMB/MOLINE, IL – Manoochehr Zoghi (pronounced Man-oo-Chehr Zoh-ghee), dean of the College of Engineering, Technology and Computer Science (ETCS) at Purdue University, Fort Wayne, IN, has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Western Illinois University, effective July 1. Billy Clow, dean of Western Illinois University's College of Fine Arts and Communication (COFAC), has served as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs since July 1, 2021. He will return to his post as dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication.

"I would like to welcome Dr. Zoghi to Western Illinois University. His administrative and academic experiences will provide for a seamless transition and will help continue the work of moving WIU's stellar academic programs ahead," said WIU President Guiyou Huang. "I also extend thanks to Billy for agreeing to return to the interim role last year. His leadership and enthusiasm have been much appreciated. In addition, I'd like to thank the search committee, led by Dr. Maceio Lauer, for their diligence and efforts coordinating the process."

Zoghi has been the dean of the College of ETCS at Purdue University Fort Wayne since July 2016. He has also been a member of the graduate faculty since 2016. In his role as dean, Zoghi has led the college to launch its inaugural strategic plan, founded the School of Polytechnic in the college and launched partnerships with K-12 schools, community colleges and industries, as well as provided oversight for the creation of several new 4+1 academic programs. He has served as a member of the leadership team for the institution's strategic plan, and was also co-chair of Purdue Fort Wayne's diversity, equity and inclusion aspiring planning team.

Prior to joining Purdue Fort Wayne, Zoghi had served in numerous administrative and faculty roles at California State University Fresno, Idaho State University, and University of Dayton. Before moving into academe, he worked as a structural engineer for several years at the consulting firm of LJB, Inc. in Dayton Ohio, where he was instrumental in research and development (R&D) of the patented CONSPAN Bridge System. His research expertise and interests include application of innovative materials and techniques in bridge construction, geohazard mitigation and sustainability.

"I am thrilled and honored to be joining WIU as the next provost and vice president for academic affairs and am eager to work closely with President Huang, his exceptional leadership team and the entire WIU community to advance the mission of our institution," Zoghi said. "I am inspired by the WIU's commitment to individual student success and to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice. I was very impressed with the enthusiasm and dedication of faculty and staff during my recent campus interview and am extremely excited to join the WIU family."

Zoghi earned his Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Cincinnati, an MBA from the San Francisco Institute of Architecture, and a master's and bachelor's in civil engineering from the University of Louisville. He has also earned professional certificates in management from Harvard University, in executive leadership from UC Berkley and in innovation and entrepreneurship from Stanford University. He is a registered professional engineer and has been a Fellow of the American Council on Education (ACE), a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE), and a senior ABET program evaluator.

The provost and vice president for academic affairs serves as the chief academic officer of the University with responsibility for academic leadership. The provost reports directly to the president and is the primary representative of the president in his absence. The provost leads the University-wide community to promote the highest academic standards and the University's core values at both the Macomb and Quad Cities campuses; provides leadership in planning, developing, implementing and assessing all academic programs; has primary responsibility for contract administration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for faculty and support staff and a significant portion of the University budget; provides overall leadership for continued growth of international and life-long learning programs, distance education and faculty development; and supervises staff and many service areas that are responsible for achieving the University's established major goals identified by the president and the Board of Trustees.



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