JCSU News Release

JCSU Professor Promoted as Dean of the College of Professional Studies

Johnson C. Smith University has promoted its James B. Duke Distinguished Professor Magdy Attia, Ph.D., as Interim Dean of the College of Professional Studies. He will still continue to serve as chairman of the Computer Science and Engineering Department and Director of the Technology Center on campus.

Attia replaces Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins who was promoted in December as Interim Vice-President for Academic Affairs. As JCSU's new dean of the College of Professional Studies, Attia will be responsible for overseeing programs that combine liberal studies with specialized career-oriented training to prepare students for entry-level positions, in education, government and industry immediately upon graduation.

He has received accolades from the university and the community in recent years. In 2005, the university awarded him its highest ranking for faculty, the James B. Duke Distinguished Endowed Professorship. In 2006, the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce gave him the Richard Neel Award for Career Achievement in Information Technology. Chamber members recognized him for his contributions to information technology and engineering at JCSU and to the Charlotte business and education communities. He also is the recipient of the Bank of America Par Excellence Teaching Award.

Attia is serving on many Boards including, but not limited to, the Advisory Board of the Biotechnology Center of North Carolina, the Advisory Board of the College of Computing and Informatics at UNC Charlotte, the Advisory Board of Tech Connect of Charlotte CMS, and the Advisory Board of the School of STEM at Benedict College,. Attia has served as advisor, reviewer and screener for the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security, USA.

He received his doctorate degree from Moscow State University in Moscow, Russia. He received both his master's and bachelor's degrees from Ain Shams University in Egypt. Attia spearheaded innovative research with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to received high national and international recognition in 2003 and was funded by NASA.

He is credited for building the Computer Science and Engineering Department at JCSU and receiving national recognition. The department has been ranked in the top 1% among all schools and universities in the USA, in producing qualified African Americans in computer science and information systems for the past five years. In 2004, the department was ranked number one among all schools and universities in the Carolinas for the same category.