Abd Arkadan named department head of Electrical Engineering

Abd Arkadan has been named head of the Electrical Engineering Department at Colorado School of Mines.  

A member of the Mines faculty since 2016, Arkadan previously served as associate department head and interim department head. His new appointment began in August 2026.  

The Electrical Engineering Department offers an undergraduate major and minor in electrical engineering, master’s and PhD programs in electrical engineering and graduate certificates in information and system sciences, microwave engineering and power and energy systems. The department’s faculty collaborates across the university in key areas like quantum engineering, AI, robotics, energy and mining, leading to new research projects, courses, programs and many additional opportunities for students and faculty, Arkadan said. 

"I want to make sure our curriculum keeps pace with advances in electrical engineering and prepares our students for future opportunities,” he said. 

As department head, Arkadan said his focus will be building on the department’s strengths and expanding in key areas, like energy, systems engineering, communications, quantum engineering, electromagnetics and electronics.  

“My goal is to continue growing our impact in education, research and industry partnerships,” he said. “We want to recruit and support excellent faculty and give our students strong opportunities for learning, research and hands-on experience.” 

Arkadan’s research focus is on power and energy systems, electric machines and drives, design optimization, and applications for different electrical systems. He is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society.  

Arkadan came to Mines from Rafik Hariri University in Lebanon, where he served as president and professor. Prior to that appointment, he was a Professor at Marquette University. He holds a PhD from Clarkson University, a master’s degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi, all in electrical engineering. In addition, he has extensive industrial experience.