Greetings and Welcome to the College of Engineering!
The College of Engineering is the newest College at Illinois State University. We will welcome our first group of students in Fall of 2025 and graduate our first student in the spring of 2029. I am extremely proud of the mission of the college and the work we will do. We will prepare students to become the engineers of tomorrow who will be career ready day 1. The College of Engineering will emphasize project-based learning, applied research, and actively demonstrating the societal impact engineers make across broad communities. We will be a leader in educating engineers and plan to be a leader in transforming engineering education to graduate more students from diverse backgrounds. We value student success and to ensure success we will utilize proven support systems such as: early alert programming; a state-of-the-art first year engineering program; tutorial and supplemental instruction; facilitated study groups; support for student engineering competitions; and support for student clubs associated with professional engineering societies.
Since I started as the founding dean on April 1, 2023 I have been embraced by the industry of Illinois. I have invited industry to be involved in developing and forming our curriculum to meet the engineering needs of Illinois and beyond. They have embraced our mantra of ‘Industry Informed and Industry Involved’ and are eager to join our team.
Illinois State University will start the college by admitted students into one of 3 engineering departments in the Fall of 2025, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and general engineering. On August 1, 2023 Dr. Nesrin Ozalp joined us as the Founding Chair of Mechanical Engineering and on August 21, 2023, Vijay Devabhaktuni will join us as the Founding Chair of Electrical Engineering. We are extremely fortunate to have them join the College. Both bring a wealth of knowledge in their respective fields, and both have served as department chairpersons in the past.
Please take some time to navigate our Website to learn more about the College of Engineering, and revisit our page frequently to watch our progress as we build the College. I look forward to you joining us as a member of the founding class of engineering students in the Fall of 2025.
Welcome to the College of Engineering.
Thomas K. Keyser, PhD
Founding Dean
About the Dean
Thomas Keyser Is the Founding Dean of Engineering at Illinois State University. He started in that position on April 1, 2023, after previously serving as the Dean of Engineering at the Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Dr. Keyser earned his BS, MS and Ph.D. in Engineering from New Mexico State University, Colorado State University and Clemson University respectively. He has published over 30 works in multiple journals and conference proceedings. He has received funding from organizations such as National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, GTE, Colorado Advanced Software Institute, and General Electric Aircraft Engines.
As dean of the College of Engineering, Technology and Management at Oregon Institute of Technology, Keyser oversaw six academic departments, 14 undergraduate degree programs, four graduate degree programs, two research centers, and three campus locations.
Prior to Oregon Institute of Technology, Keyser held the chair and faculty positions in industrial engineering and engineering management at Western New England University. He also previously taught at Ohio University, University of Southern Colorado, and Clemson University. Outside academia, Keyser held a position as an industrial engineer with McDonnell Douglas Space Systems.