Azim Eskandarian is the Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. Dean of the College of Engineering and professor of mechanical engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University. Over more than four decades, he has helped shape engineering research, education, and innovation through leadership at VCU, Virginia Tech, and The George Washington University. He has founded nationally recognized research centers and laboratories in autonomous systems, intelligent vehicles, robotics, and transportation safety while mentoring future engineering leaders and strengthening partnerships among universities, industry, and government.

A Fellow of ASME, IEEE, and SAE, Dr. Eskandarian has authored more than 370 publications and abstracts and is the editor of the widely used Handbook of Intelligent Vehicles. His contributions have been recognized with the SAE Vincent Bendix Automotive Electronics Engineering Award and the IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society Outstanding Researcher Award.

He is dedicated to advancing engineering that drives innovation, economic prosperity, and societal impact throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation.