Rate My Professor Shahzad Akbar

Shahzad Akbar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering at Virginia State University, part of the College of Engineering and Technology. He has been a faculty member there since at least 2006, as documented in successive undergraduate catalogs, and previously served as coordinator of the Computer Engineering Program. Akbar earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University and his MS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to his academic career, he amassed many years of industrial research and development experience at IBM Microelectronics, Sematech, DuPont, Hewlett-Packard, and Siemens. These roles equipped him with practical expertise in advanced engineering technologies.

Akbar's academic contributions emphasize computer engineering education and innovative applications. He co-authored 'Design of Data Acquisition System for Computer Engineering Education' with Yoon Kim, presented at the 2007 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. In 2009, they published 'Design of a Bridge Structural Integrity Wireless Monitoring System for Computer Engineering Education' in the same venue. Additional works include 'Integration of Agriculture Research into Manufacturing Design and Implementation Projects,' 'GPS Satellite Precision Global Surveying,' 'Design of Photovoltaic Systems for Municipal and School Buildings in Ocean City, New Jersey,' and 'Design of a Flexible RF/IR Data Link and Associated Laboratory.' In summer 2007, Akbar joined scientists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory via the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and Minority Educational Institutions (MEI) Faculty Summer Research Program, administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education. Together, they developed an environmentally friendly battery using nanotechnology. The project employed an electric beam evaporator to create nano-constructed materials that react with methanol fuel and oxygen, producing heat to generate electricity without combustion, thus reducing emissions and pollutants. Akbar has also served on the university's strategic plan steering committee. His endeavors advance Engineering pedagogy and sustainable solutions at Virginia State University.