The Dean's Page
Dr. Eric J. Sheppard joined Hampton University on January 5, 2004 as Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology, which has programs in chemical, computer and electrical engineering, as well as in aviation and architecture.
Dr. Sheppard had previously served 5 ½ years as a program officer at the National Science Foundation. At NSF, he spent two years in the Division of Undergraduate Education and 3 ½ years managing the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). While working in GRFP, he developed an online s ystem for over 3000 fellows, replacing a 50 year old paper-based process. Prior to his service at NSF, he spent 4 ½ years on the faculty of the Aerospace Science Engineering Department at Tuskegee University, including a year as acting Department Head.
Dr. Sheppard is a native of Brooklyn New York, and grew up there and in Westbrook, Maine. He was educated as an aerospace engineer, with his Bachelor’s degree from Boston University and his Master’s and Doctorate (Sc.D.) degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His areas of interest are propulsion and power (particularly electromagnetic thrusters), design, analytical and computational methods in fluid and aero-dynamics, and reacting flows, as well as undergraduate engineering education, and the pathway to graduate education.
His professional affiliations include: senior member and past member of the Academic Affairs Committee of the AIAA, member and past Chair of the Aerospace Division and past Chair of the Minorities in Engineering Award Committee for the ASEE, and membership in Sigma Xi, and Sigma Gamma Tau (the national aerospace engineering honor society).
Selected other activities include:
- ABET-EAC Evaluation Visitor, Aerospace Programs (2001-present)
- Member, Advisory Board, Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering Department, Boston University (2001-2008)
- Content Expert (Consultant) for NSF-MSP program evaluation (2004-2006)
- Member, Board of Directors, Advancing Minority Interest in Engineering (2004-2005)
- Member, Advisory Committee for GPRA Performance Assessment, NSF (2005-2007)
- Invited presenter, NSB Workshop on Engineering Education (2006)
- Trustee, Tuskegee Airmen Foundation (since spring 2008)
- GK-12 Sub-Chair, Committee of Visitors for GK-12 and IGERT programs, NSF, August 2008
- Member, Visiting Committee of the Corporation, Dean for Undergraduate Education, MIT (2008-2010)
- Member, Board of Trustees, USRA, 2009-2011