Pratt professor Tod Laursen named president of Khalifa University

Professor of mechanical engineering Tod Laursen will serve as the new president of  Khalifa University of Science, Research and Technology in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, according to a Duke news release Monday.

Laursen has taught at Duke for 18 years and is currently chair of the Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science department. He served as senior associate dean for education for the Pratt School of Engineering for five years between 2003 and 2008.

“My new role at [Khalifa University] represents both a highly exciting opportunity and an honor,” said Laursen in a Khalifa news release. “With a new campus and high growth targets, the university is entering a new chapter in its history. I see my responsibility as helping to shape the futures of a new generation of technically-skilled graduates in the UAE who will be able to contribute to the development of their wider society.”

Laursen was one of two candidates from a pool of more than 200 chosen to make a presentation to the school’s board of trustees, according to the news release. His term begins in August.

Tom Katsouleas, dean of Pratt, said Lursen’s impact on the University spanned from increasing student satisfaction and enhancing the freshman and senior design experiences to bolstering the school’s physical infrastructure. He added that his legacy as chair of MEMS department included adding quality faculty and a number of new master’s engineering degrees.

 “On a personal level, Tod has been a friend and valued adviser to me and to so many of us in the school,” Katsouleas in the Duke news release. “There has always been a wake of good cheer following his footsteps, and he will be deeply missed.”