Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has appointed Professor Alhussein (Hussein) Abouzeid, Ph.D., as head of the department of Electrical, Computer, and Systems Engineering (ECSE). A longtime member of the ECSE faculty, Abouzeid brings deep institutional knowledge and a strong record of academic leadership that will support the department’s continued excellence in research and education. 

Abouzeid’s research focuses on intelligent networked systems, with applications spanning remote health, disaster response, Internet of Things, smart grids, and vehicular networks. He joined ECSE faculty in 2001, and has since held leadership roles at both the institutional and national level, including Chair of the RPI Faculty Senate and Program Director in the Computer and Network Systems Division of the National Science Foundation. 

Over the course of his career, Abouzeid’s research has earned him national and international honors, including the Faculty Early Career Development Award (CAREER) from NSF, and the Finnish Distinguished Professor (FiDiPro) Fellow award from Tekes (now Business Finland). 

“Hussein’s record reflects intellectual depth, collaborative leadership, and a strong commitment to the ECSE mission in education, research, and service,” said Shekhar Garde, Ph.D., the Thomas R. Farino Jr. ’67 and Patricia E. Farino Dean of the School of Engineering at RPI. “I am confident that under Hussein’s leadership, ECSE will play a central role in advancing RPI Forward priorities — strengthening educational excellence, growing research impact, and deepening engagement with our alumni and philanthropic partners.” 

ECSE is home to exciting research at the frontiers of AI, robotics, electric power engineering, chips and semiconductors, and more. The department also has strong industry ties, offering courses in chips/semiconductors in collaboration with Global Foundries, IBM, and other key industry partners. Under Abouzeid's leadership, the department is well positioned for continued growth in these areas. 

“ECSE’s strength lies in its people and its collaborative culture,” said Abouzeid. “I am honored to serve as department head and to work with the faculty, staff, and students to build on the department’s strong foundation in education and research, while supporting meaningful connections across RPI and beyond. Building on a legacy that includes alumni who helped invent the microprocessor, digital camera, and graphics processor, ECSE will lead the next generation of transformative engineering breakthroughs.”