Professor Cheena Srinivasan Receives President and Provost's Award for Distinguished Faculty Service
Professor K. (Cheena) Srinivasan has been awarded the President and Provost's Award for Distinguished Faculty Service. Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee made the surprise presentation during a departmental meeting Feb. 16. Srinivasan, who also is the chair of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is the first person in the department to receive the prestigious university award.
"Cheena Srinivasan has performed distinguished service to Ohio State in a variety of capacities and at all levels of the University, service that has advanced the common good and ensured the continuing vitality of the institution,” wrote Professor Mo Samimy when nominating his colleague for the honor.
Several fellow faculty members who served on various committees with Srinivasan affirmed that his common-sense approach to decision making, and his collegial and respectful manner in engaging others in policy concerns has positively influenced their interest in and commitment to university affairs.
Srinivasan joined the faculty at Ohio State in 1979. He served as chair of the College of Engineering’s Coordinating Committee for the Manufacturing Systems Engineering Program from 1984 to 1987, and later became chair of the department’s Graduate Studies Committee. In 2006, he led a university-wide task force that developed recommendations for the enhancement of quality doctoral programs. The task force’s report prompted a review of all 91 doctoral programs at the university which resulted in significant changes in their administration. And from 2007 to 2008, Srinivasan chaired the University Senate Fiscal Committee.
When he was named chair of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in 2000, Srinivasan oversaw the integration of the applied mechanics program with the mechanical engineering department. In 2010, he led the merger of the aerospace engineering department with mechanical engineering. Securing private gifts and donations toward the construction of Scott Lab, which opened in 2006, has also been a major career milestone. Prior to his selection as department chair, he served for two years as associate dean for research in the College of Engineering.
Over the past two years, Srinivasan has served as a member of the Committee for Evaluation of Central Administrators, which performs periodic evaluation of selected central administrators and their offices at Ohio State. He is also a member of the College of Engineering’s Action Learning Team, a group composed of department chairs who are dedicated to enhancing and evolving the culture of the college from within.
Srinivasan has authored more than 70 refereed publications, and has served as dissertation adviser for 13 doctoral students and 36 master’s students. He is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Society of Manufacturing Engineers and recipient of department-level awards for excellence in undergraduate teaching as well as the Clara M. and Peter L. Scott Faculty Award for Excellence in Engineering Education.
About the Distinguished Faculty Service Award
Each year, the university recognizes up to three faculty members who have made extensive contributions to the development and implementation of university policies and programs. Nominees for the award must have proven to provide effective teaching and have maintained an active program of research, scholarship, or creative work. Award recipients are selected by a committee of faculty, administrators and previous recipients. They receive both a cash award of $3,000 and an increase of $1,200 to their base salaries from the Office of Academic Affairs.
More information about the award and previous recipients can be found at www.osu.edu/universityawards.
