Automation Alley welcomes Lawrence Technological University Provost Tarek Sobh as new board member
Media Contacts: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, barbara@eafocus.com, 248.260.8466; Nicole Kampe, Automation Alley; kampen@automationalley.com; 248.457.3301
Troy, Mich.—October 27, 2021 -Automation Alley, Michigan’s Industry 4.0 knowledge center and a World Economic Forum Advanced Manufacturing Hub for North America, announced that Lawrence Technological University Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Tarek Sobh has joined the Automation Alley Board of Directors.
Lawrence Tech is an active Automation Alley Foundation member and a partner in the organization’s annual Technology in Industry Report. Sobh was also a recent guest on the “Conversations With…” interview series hosted by Automation Alley CEO and Executive Director Tom Kelly and available for viewing on Automation Alley’s website and YouTube channel.
“Dr. Tarek Sobh is helping to prepare the talent pipeline for jobs of the future, ”Kelly said. “He has an excellent understanding of the needs of employers and the skillsets that will be required as technology rapidly impacts our industries and societies. It has been a pleasure to work with Dr. Sobh, and we look forward to his insights, ideas and visionary leadership around education as a member of our board.”
The role of the Automation Alley Board of Directors is to work with the organization’s CEO and executive director to help set strategy, make policy decisions and provide general counsel. Board members are elected to a three-year term. The current Automation Alley board is led by Board President Kurt Saldana, director of Diversified Technologies International, a Livonia-based designer and builder of stamping and molding tools. A complete list of Automation Alley’s board members can be found here
Sobh, a licensed professional engineer, joined LTU Sept. 1, 2020. Previously, he was interim provost at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut as well as UB’s executive vice president of research and economic development and founding dean of its College of Engineering, Business, and Education. A native of Egypt, Sobh earned a B.Sc. engineering degree from the University of Alexandria, and Master of Science and PhD degrees in computer and information science from the University of Pennsylvania. He began his academic career as research assistant professor of computer science at the University of Utah.
A prodigious writer and presenter, Sobh’s background is in computer science and engineering, robotics, automation, control theory, STEM education, manufacturing, artificial intelligence, computer vision, and signal processing. He is a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences and a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering and also consults and provides services to industrial organizations and companies, including companies in the United States, Switzerland, India, Malaysia, England, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan, and Egypt. He has received over 60 research awards and grants and received the ASEE Northeastern U.S. Distinguished Engineering Professor of the Year award, the IEEE Northeast Technological Innovation Research Award, an ACE Higher Education Award and many other recognitions of his educational, research, scholarly, and service activities in engineering, education, computing, and diversity initiatives.
“Having Dr. Sobh serve on the Automation Alley board of directors offers LTU important input on the mission and direction of the organization, which is so important to the growth of Michigan’s technologically advanced Industry 4.0 economy,” LTU President Virinder Moudgil said. “Automation Alley will also benefit from Dr.Sobh’s expertise in designing programs to fill the future talent pipeline needed for Michigan’s continued prosperity.”
About Lawrence Technological University
Lawrence Technological University, www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, and Engineering. PayScale lists LawrenceTech among the nation’s top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation's top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best in the Midwest. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 100 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.
About Automation Alley
Automation Alley is a World Economic Forum Advanced Manufacturing Hub (AMHUB) for North America and a nonprofit Industry4.0 knowledge center with a global outlook and a regional focus. We facilitate public-private partnerships by connecting industry, education and government to fuel Michigan's economy and accelerate innovation. Our programs give businesses a competitive advantage by helping them along every step of their digital transformation journey. We obsess over disruptive technologies like AI, the Internet of Things and automation, and work hard to make these complex concepts easier for companies to understand and implement. Visit automationalley.com.
The mission of Automation Alley is to position Michigan as a global leader in Industry 4.0 by helping our members increase revenue, reduce costs and think strategically during a time of rapid technological change.