Dr. Octavia Dobre has been appointed interim dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, effective May 2, 2022, until April 28, 2023, or until a permanent dean is recruited, whichever occurs first.

Dr. Florentine Strzelczyk, provost and vice-president (academic), made the recommendation to the president, who approved Dr. Dobre’s appointment to the interim role.

Highly accomplished

Dr. Dobre replaces Dr. Greg Naterer who has been appointed vice president, academic and research, at the University of Prince Edward Island.

Dr. Dobre is a highly accomplished, award-winning scholar and researcher with more than 17 years of experience at Memorial.

She is currently professor, research chair, and associate dean of research in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. Her research interests include wireless technologies for beyond 5G networks, blind signal identification and parameter estimation techniques, transceiver optimization algorithms, as well as optical and underwater communications.

Dr. Dobre is a fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada, a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). She is a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, inaugural editor-in-chief of the IEEE Open Journal of the Communications Society and has contributed in a variety of roles to several reputable journals and to various flagship conferences.

Details on the search for permanent dean will be shared as they become available.