Syed Ejaz Ahmed says he's looking forward to getting involved in Niagara.

Syed Ejaz Ahmed never thought that a casual stop at a university recruitment fair would be a glimpse at his future employer. But that’s exactly what happened.

The new Dean of Mathematics and Science was head of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of Windsor a few years ago when he attended the Ontario Universities Fair. High school students from across the province attend the event.

Ahmed was drawn to the Brock booth, where he asked several questions about its math program.

“I was quite impressed with what they were doing here, particularly with the MICA (Mathematics Integrated with Computers and Applications) program,” he said.

That was his first encounter with Brock, his new workplace as of Jan. 1. Ahmed took over the Mathematics and Science helm from Interim Dean Rick Cheel.

Ahmed is excited to be here.

“It will be rewarding to see what I can do to assist the faculty members, staff and students,” he said.

A native of Karachi, Pakistan, Ahmed did his undergraduate work there. He moved to Canada in the early eighties to do his MSc at the University of Guelph. He received his PhD from Carleton University in 1987. He taught at the University of Western Ontario from 1987 to 1989, the University of Regina from 1989 to 2002, and the University of Windsor from 2002 until coming to Brock.

Funding for his research in the areas of statistical inference, multivariate analysis and asymptomatic theory has doubled in recent years. Ahmed said he faced the decision of becoming a full-time researcher or pursuing his love for administrative work. The latter led to him applying for his new position.

His research continues. Statistics are fascinating because of their broad application. Statisticians make sense of data that is relevant to just about every area of public life, Ahmed said.

“They influence how we make decisions in the public and private sectors,” he said.

Ahmed is married to wife Ghazala, a sessional teacher in the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Education. He has two children – son Jazib, 20, and daughter Feryaal, 17.

Other than being a self-described “news junkie,” Ahmed said he doesn’t have a lot of leisure time these days. With his new deanship and continued research, that’s not likely to change any time soon.

But it’s worth it, he said. He hopes to “promote the research profile of our Faculty to the public and offer the best teaching and learning environment possible.”

“I’m very excited to be here, and I’m looking forward to getting involved with the community.”