NYIT promotes Anid to lead new strategic communications office

Amelia Camurati
NYIT's Nada Anid was promoted recently to lead the newly created office of Strategic Communications and External Affairs. (Photo courtesy of NYIT)

The first female dean of NYIT’s School of Engineering and Computing Sciences in Old Westbury was recently promoted to help implement the vision of the university’s new president.

NYIT President Henry C. Foley appointed Nada Anid as vice president to lead the newly created strategic communications and external affairs office.

Professor Babak Beheshti, formerly associate dean of NYIT’s School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, will serve as its interim dean.

“I will miss mostly my direct interaction with the students, but I will try to do something about that in my new role,” Anid, who has been dean since 2009, said.

During her time in charge of the school, Anid said a focus was put on hiring for the cybersecurity, biotechnology and clean energy courses.

As dean, she spearheaded the creation of National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education designated by the National Security Agency and Department of Homeland Security, its federally and state-funded Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation Center, and its Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology and the school’s certified business incubator.

During her tenure, the school’s enrollment increased and Anid put a focus on engaging teenagers and children in STEM fields as well as encouraging women to learn about robotics, engineering and technology at the annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day with Long Island high school students — a cause Anid said is close to her heart.

“As dean of NYIT School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, Dr. Anid worked tirelessly with faculty and staff to demonstrate to prospective students and their families what makes NYIT’s engineering and computer science programs so exciting,” Foley said. “She has been especially effective in her efforts to bring more young women into technical disciplines, and has been unflagging in her advancement and promotion of the engineering school, its people, and its programs. It is this energy and passion that she will now bring to all of NYIT in her new role.”

Anid said her new role will be to both work with Foley on his vision as well as advocating for the institution much as she did as dean.

“My job will be to realize our new president’s vision and to make NYIT better known as the place for makers, for doers, for inventors and innovators, and to make NYIT a premiere polytechnic both on Long Island and in New York,” Anid said. “That will be the main message we’re going to push forward.”

Reach reporter Amelia Camurati by email at acamurati@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516-307-1045, ext. 215, or follow her on Twitter @acamurati.

Share this Article