George Nnanna named UMSL School of Engineering founding director

George Nnanna is not a stranger to innovation and futuristic thinking.

A professor of mechanical engineering, Nnanna holds seven U.S. patents and has authored more than 70 articles which have been published in science and education journals.

He will also bring more than a decade of administrative experience extensive research collaboration with government and industry partners as the founding director of the new School of Engineering at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. He will begin his new position on April 1.

Nnanna served as founding dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Texas Permian Basin from 2018 to 2023, and comes to the UMSL School of Engineering after serving as  director of its Texas Water and Energy Institute in Midland, Texas.

The UMSL School of Engineering will welcome its first cohort of engineering students next fall into ABET-accredited Bachelor of Science degree programs in civil, electrical and mechanical engineering.

“I am thrilled to join UMSL at this pivotal moment,” Nnanna said in a release.

“The university has embarked on an inspiring journey to transform lives and serve as a catalyst for socioeconomic mobility. The School of Engineering, in collaboration with our dedicated faculty, industry partners, and community stakeholders, will play a crucial role in broadening participation in the STEM ecosystem and preparing a diverse workforce to drive regional and state economic growth.”

Steven J. Berberich, UMSL provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, called Nnanna “a perfect fit.”

“He is passionate about transforming the lives of our students and will engage with industry leaders to ensure that the new UMSL School of Engineering is meeting the workforce needs of the St. Louis region.”

Nnanna was instrumental in building the College of Engineering at UTPB. He structured the development of new academic programs, which included undergraduate programs in civil, chemical and electrical. He also helped create an accelerated master’s program as well as graduate certificates in engineering project management and data science in engineering.

Knowing the resources are vital to a university’s sustained growth, he assisted in raising nearly $10 million for the College of Engineering as well as facilitating the completion of its new $55 million Engineering Building.

He will work to achieve similar success at the UMSL School of Engineering alongside the existing UMSL/Washington University Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program, which has a more than 30-year history of training civil, electrical and mechanical engineers for the St. Louis workforce.

Recently, the state of Missouri directed an initial capital investment of $15 million to the university to support the planning, design and construction of labs, classrooms and student community spaces in the Science Complex that will be used to train more engineering students.

Additionally, the UMSL School of Engineering has also received an $8 million grant from the James S. McDonnell Foundation to support the hiring of new faculty to teach and engage with St. Louis industry as well as fund immediate and endowed scholarships for students now and in the future.

Before going to UTPB, Nnanna spent 16 years as a faculty member at Purdue University Calumet and Purdue University Northwest. He rose to the rank of professor of mechanical engineering and served as the department head for mechanical and civil engineering.

Nnanna has received more than $14 million in external grants, including from the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Texas Tech University and went on to receive both a master’s degree and PhD in mechanical engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. He also completed executive leadership programs at the University of Oxford and Harvard University’s Institute for Management and Leadership in Education.

“We aim to significantly advance UMSL’s strategic initiatives in recruitment, retention, interdisciplinary research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy while actively engaging our students in meaningful experiential learning opportunities,” said Nnanna.