Syed Ejaz Ahmed — currently a professor and head of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Windsor — is Brock’s new Dean of Faculty of Mathematics and Science.

Syed Ejaz Ahmed

Ahmed will take up his new position on Jan. 1, 2012. In the meantime, Rick Cheel, professor of Earth Sciences, will stay on for a six-month extension as Interim Dean.

The announcement was made today by Murray Knuttila, Provost and Vice-President Academic.

Ahmed has been at the University of Windsor since 2002. He received his MSc from the University of Guelph in 1984 and his PhD from Carleton University in 1987. He taught at the University of Regina from 1989-2002, the last three years as head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics.

Ahmed was also an assistant professor at the University of Western Ontario from 1987-89, and a visiting professor at the University of Michigan in 2008.

Ahmed’s area of expertise includes statistical inference, multivariate analysis and asymptotic theory. He is a fellow of the American Statistical Association and was the founding director for the Centre for Statistical Consulting, Research, Learning and Services.

He has made more than 120 scholarly presentations in countries around the world, authored more than 125 peer-reviewed articles and reviewed more than 70 books and research volumes. He is co-author of a popular textbook Introduction to Probability and Statistics, and author of two other textbooks.

Knuttila said the new Dean emerged from a strong field of candidates who sought the appointment.

“While we look forward to gaining a scholar of Dr. Ahmed’s calibre, I also want to express the University’s sincere appreciation to Rick Cheel, who has led the Faculty of Mathematics and Science for more than a year while we conducted the national search for a permanent replacement,” he said.