Rahmat Shoureshi, the New York Institute of Technology provost and vice president of academic affairs, took over as the school’s interim president on Saturday as the college looks to replace Edward Guiliano, who was president for 17 years.
“I am very excited to carry on NYIT’s legacy of empowering students around the world through higher education,” Shoureshi said. “I remain deeply committed to our students, alumni, faculty, staff, donors, trustees and other members of our diverse community.”
Last October, Guiliano announced plans to step down. He intends to begin a sabbatical leave at the start of the spring 2017 semester, after which he will return to the university as a professor of literature, sociology and global studies, a position he held before becoming president.
NYIT hired the firm Witt/Kieffer to assist with a search for Guiliano’s replacement, which has also involved members of the faculty and Board of Trustees.
“Witt/Kieffer has cast a broad national, even international, net to position this opportunity with leaders who would be intrigued by NYIT and well prepared to take on this challenge,” the college’s website said. “They report that response thus far has been positive, and that they are engaged in deep conversations with a number of high-potential prospects.”
The website said candidates both within and without the college have expressed interest in the permanent position, though it did not specify whether Shoureshi was among them.
A search committee comprising trustees and members of the NYIT community will interview candidates in February, the website said.
Shoureshi has overseen academic programs at NYIT since he arrived in 2011. Over the past six years, the school has added faculty members and administrators, supported internal and external funding for research, and developed new initiatives for teaching and learning with technology, a statement from the college said.
He is credited with helping NYIT expand its academic offerings to 12 countries, which include Canada, China and Abu Dhabi.
Before joining NYIT, Shoureshi served as dean of the School of Engineering and Computer Sciences at the University of Denver. He earned his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed a program in marketing and industrial dynamics at the MIT Sloan School of Management.
“I would like to thank Dr. Guiliano for his 42 years of teaching, scholarship, service and contributions to NYIT, including 17 years as its president,” Shoureshi said.
In October, Guiliano told Blank Slate Media the moments of his tenure he’ll most fondly remember are those spent with students.
“The time I spent with them, when I could really make a difference, that’s the reward,” he said.
