Stella Batalama, dean, college of engineering and computer science at FAU

Stella Batalama’s career went south, from Buffalo, N.Y., to Boca Raton, where she was recently named dean, college of engineering and computer science at Florida Atlantic University. Batalama, who received her Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia, was previously chair and professor, electrical engineering, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York. It’s about continuing to build upon her strengths, she says, with a strong track record as an academic leader and administrator, as an educator and researcher.

Why my job is important :I am leading and directing a college that has immediate impact on the economic growth of South Florida, as well as the broader state and nation.

Strategies

How to get from there to here: Be trusted with positions of increasing responsibility and engage in opportunities and allow yourself to be mentored, including accepting constructive criticism and honest dialogue, as well as encouragement.

What’s new: The complexity of the job has increased because the environment has changed, such as funding versus the demand for revenue growth; and the increased competition for federal research funding.

Industry wisdom: Leadership is responsibility and college and university culture is the competitive advantage that leads to long-lasting success. Professional development: Participant in the Faculty in Leadership Program of the University at Buffalo; participant/ graduate from the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School; position of associate dean for research of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the position of the chair of Electrical Engineering at UB. Advice to young professionals: The intellectual capacity of the university community is unmatched and worthy of all the extra effort to become a part of it and grow within it.

STELLA BATALAMA