Biography: Electrical engineer Katehi balances academic leadership with focus on teaching
Linda Katehi is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and chairs the President’s Committee for the National Medal of Science. (Larry Kanfer/photo)
Katehi’s quick facts
Here is more information about Chancellor-designate Linda Katehi, starting with how you say her last name.
Name pronounciation: kah-TAY-hee
She is a professor of electrical and computer engineering, with a research focus in circuit design. She holds a joint appointment in the Program of Gender and Women Studies at the University of Illinois.
Since 2006, Katehi has served as provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
Previous employment
- Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., 2002-06: John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering and Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1984-2002: Associate dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Education in the College of Engineering, and professor of electrical engineering and computer science
Education
- National Technical University of Athens, School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering: Diploma degree, 1977
- UCLA: Master of Science (1981) and doctorate (1984), both in electrical engineering
Personal
- Native of Greece, age 55
- Married to Spyros Tseregounis (pronounced SEHR-eh-goon-ihs)
- Two children: Erik Tseregounis, 25, and Helena Tseregounis, 21
Linda Katehi is provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and professor of electrical and computer engineering.
She holds a joint appointment with the Gender and Women Studies Program.
In her current role, Katehi is the chief academic and budgetary officer for the campus with more than $400 million in research expenditures. She oversees all academic and financial programs, policies and priorities that that have been designed to ensure a memorable educational experience for students and sustain an environment that encourages and supports academic excellence.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has more than 31,000 undergraduate students enrolled in 10 undergraduate divisions, and about 10,000 graduate students enrolled in 50 graduate and professional degree programs.
Prior to joining the University of Illinois, Katehi served as the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering and professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind., and the associate dean for academic affairs and graduate education in the College of Engineering and professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Many national committees, science boards
Katehi belongs to many national committees and science boards including being a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and board member of the AAAS.
She is the chair of the President’s Committee for the National Medal of Science and is chair of the Secretary of Commerce’s committee for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation.
From her early years as a faculty member, Katehi focused on expanding research opportunities for undergraduate students and improving the education and professional experience of graduate students, with emphasis on underrepresented groups.
Katehi received the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Microwave Theory and Techniques Distinguished Educator Award and has received many best-paper awards from that group as well as the Institute of Electrical Engineers and the Society of Hybrid Microelectronics.
She has also received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science at UCLA and the Leading Light Award for Women in High Tech from the state of Indiana.
Research opportunities for undergraduates
From her early years as a faculty member, Katehi focused on expanding research opportunities for undergraduate students and improving the education and professional experience of graduate students, with emphasis on underrepresented groups.
In her role as a faculty member, she supervised, mentored and graduated more than 70 postdoctoral fellows, doctoral and master of science students in electrical and computer engineering. Of the 42 doctoral students who graduated under her supervision, 21 have become faculty members in research universities in the U.S. and abroad.
Katehi’s work has led to numerous national and international awards both as a technical leader and educator, 16 U.S. patents, and an additional 6 U.S. patent applications. She has authored and co-authored 10 book chapters and about 600 refereed publications in journals and symposia proceedings.
Katehi earned her bachelor in electrical engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, in 1977, and her master’s degree and doctorate in electrical engineering from UCLA in 1981 and 1984, respectively.