Provost's Leadership Team
Academic Council
Jianmin Qu, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost
Dr. Jianmin Qu, Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, is an accomplished academic administrator and an acclaimed scholar in the fields of theoretical and applied mathematics. During his 30-plus year career in higher education, he has held leadership, administrative and academic positions, made important contributions in his research fields and won honors for teaching and research. Previously, Dr. Qu served as Dean of the School of Engineering and Karol Family Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Tufts University where he led transformative changes in education, research, and entrepreneurship.
Constantin Chassapis, Ph.D.
Senior Vice Provost for Graduate Education
Dr. Constantin (Costas) Chassapis was appointed in October 2018 to the new position of Vice Provost for Graduate Education to strengthen graduate studies and provide a unified, seamless end-to-end experience for graduate students, and was elevated to Senior Vice Provost for Graduate Education in January 2020. Previously, he had been Stevens' first Vice Provost for Academics. Reporting to Dr. Chassapis are the Offices of Graduate Studies, including Graduate Admissions, Continuing and Professional Education, and WebCampus; Graduate Student Affairs; Graduate Academics; and the English Language Communication Center.
Gert-Jan de Vreede
Dean, School of Business
Gert-Jan (GJ) de Vreede is Dean of the Stevens School of Business. He joined Stevens in fall 2024 after serving as interim dean at the University of South Florida (USF) Muma College of Business. Under his stewardship, the college expanded its enrollment to more than 8,400 students. De Vreede's academic journey began in the Netherlands, where he earned his M.S. and his Ph.D. in information systems from Delft University of Technology. He has also held leadership and (visiting) faculty positions around the world, including posts in China, Austria, South Africa and the United States.
Eve Riskin, Ph.D.
Dean for Undergraduate Education
Dr. Eve Riskin is the Dean for Undergraduate Education, effective September 1, 2022. She leads the Office of Undergraduate Academics and coordinates all undergraduate academic programs and student advising on campus. She is also Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science. Before joining Stevens in fall, 2022, she served as the Faculty Director for the University of Washington's UW STARS program, a nationally renowned program that supports college success for students from underserved communities. She was a tenured full professor in the UW Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and served in several leadership roles, including Associate Dean of Diversity and Access and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, both in the College of Engineering at UW.
Arshad Saiyed
Chief Online Learning Officer and Dean of Professional Education
Arshad Saiyed is the inaugural Chief Online Learning Officer and Dean of Professional Education. He is spearheading the establishment of the College of Professional Education, an independent academic unit dedicated to delivering high-quality, technology-infused online programs. Saiyed joined Stevens from Northeastern University in Boston, where he directed the Experiential Digital Global Education (EDGE) unit as Associate Vice President for Digital Education and Innovation since 2020. Saiyed brings to Stevens more than 20 years of expertise in digital transformation in higher education.
Edmund Synakowski, Ph.D.
Vice Provost for Research and Innovation
Dr. Edmund “Ed” Synakowski is the Vice Provost for Research and Innovation. He works in partnership with the schools and the college to continue building the university’s thriving research enterprise. Dr. Synakowski previously served as Vice President for Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). Previously, he was Vice President for Research and Economic Development and a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Wyoming. Earlier, he served as the Associate Director of Science for Fusion Energy Sciences at the U.S. Department of Energy. Dr. Synakowski also directed the Fusion Energy Program at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory from 2006-2009 and served as a researcher, and then research program leader, at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory from 1988-2005.
Siva Thangam, Ph.D.
Dean, Academic Administration
Dr. Siva Thangam, Dean of Academic Administration, supports the Office of the Provost by assisting in the management of academic affairs, including performance monitoring, evaluation and performance assessment of all reporting units. In addition, Dr. Thangam coordinates and manages all policy development and the maintenance of the Policy Library and assists the provost with the activities of the Academic Council. Dr. Thangam received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Rutgers University and has been acknowledged for his work with an Honorary Master of Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology and an Outstanding Teaching Award from the Stevens Alumni Association.
Kelland Thomas, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Dr. Kelland Thomas is the dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Dr. Thomas came to Stevens from the University of Arizona’s School of Information, where he served as associate director; director of the Creative Computing Lab; and interim director of the science, technology and arts department. Dr. Thomas holds a doctoral degree in saxophone performance and a master’s degree in music theory from the University of Michigan, as well as a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Arizona. Dr. Thomas’ interdisciplinary research and scholarship include computational creativity, artificial intelligence, creative coding and generative music composition.
David Zeng, Ph.D.
Senior Vice Provost for Academic Innovation and Faculty Affairs
Dr. David Zeng, a recognized innovator in civil engineering and an accomplished administrator, joined Stevens Institute of Technology from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, in August, 2019 in the newly created position of Vice Provost for Academic Innovation and Faculty Affairs. Dr. Zeng's position brings together responsibilities for the undergraduate academic experience and faculty affairs. He is charged with creating a culture, systems and processes that guarantee student and faculty success, and he advises the academic leadership on a wide range of issues related to undergraduate education, academic innovation and faculty affairs while collaborating closely with stakeholders across campus.
Jean W. Zu, Ph.D.
Lore E. Feiler Dean, Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science
Dr. Jean Zu is the Lore E. Feiler Professor and Dean of the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science and a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Her research is focused on mechanical vibrations and dynamics and mechatronics, particularly in areas of biomedical instrumentation and energy harvesting. Dr. Zu holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Tsinghua University and Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba, and has published over 300 papers including 160 journal papers. She made history at the University of Toronto by becoming the first female and Asian Department Chair in 2009, a role she served until she joined Stevens on May 1, 2017 as dean.
Administrative Leadership
Maria "Sin" Ouckama
Associate Provost
Maria “Sin” Ouckama, Associate Provost, manages the strategic, administrative and financial operations of the Office of the Provost and the Division of Academic Affairs. She previously served as the Assistant Vice President for Human Resources and Deputy Title IX Coordinator at Stevens after joining the university as Senior Director for Human Resources and Deputy Title IX Coordinator in July 2017. Prior to her arrival at Stevens, Ouckama held several key human resources positions in the private sector and served as a combat medic in the United States Army National Guard from 2006-2012. She earned an MBA from the Stevens School of Business and holds bachelor’s degrees in economics, international relations and policy studies from Syracuse University.
Jean Lee
Director, International Student and Scholar Services
Jean Lee joined the provost's leadership team in January 2019 on an interim basis and has since become the director of the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), leading Stevens Institute of Technology's efforts to provide international students and faculty members with the support and guidance they need to thrive as members of the university community. The office provides the professional expertise and resources necessary to maintain the legal status compliance of international community members in all of their immigration, academic and employment endeavors.
Minghui Wang
Assistant Provost for Institutional Research and Effectiveness
The assistant provost for institutional research and effectiveness is responsible for the collection, maintenance and reporting of institutional data and the preparation of reports essential to institutional effectiveness and strategic planning. Minghui Wang oversees and facilitates essential functions including institutional research, data management, benchmarking and external and internal reporting in these areas. She also leads programs and efforts in institutional effectiveness and continuous improvement processes including educational unit and student outcomes assessments.