DES CHAMPS
CHAIR:
ALUMNI GIFT CREATES
DEPARTMENTAL CHAIR
Azim Eskandarian, head of
the Department of Mechanical
Engineering, has been named
the Nicholas and Rebecca Des Champs
Chair in Mechanical Engineering by the
Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The Nicholas and Rebecca Des
Champs Chair in Mechanical
Engineering was established in 2017
in honor of Nicholas and Rebecca Des
Champs, who endowed the position
with a $2 million gift. The appointment
will be held continuously by the
head of the department and expire
when the recipient no longer serves
as department head. Nicholas Des
Champs enjoyed a distinguished career
in the heating, ventilation, and air
conditioning, or HVAC, industry after
earning his bachelor’s degree and
Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in mechanical
engineering in 1962 and 1967,
respectively.
Eskandarian, an internationally known
researcher in the field of autonomous
vehicles and vehicle safety, has been
professor and head of the department
since 2015. During his three years at
the university, Eskandarian has proven
himself to be an engaged and effective
leader, with an ability for building
26
consensus and bringing different
groups together for the sake of the
department. His energy and enthusiasm
are evident, especially with respect
to departmental organization, faculty
recruiting, and his work to implement a
strategic plan for the department.
Eskandarian has developed strategic
directions for the department and
started several new initiatives to
enhance the quality of scholarship,
the student experiential learning, and
diversity within the department, and
streamlined several departmental
procedures with new policies. He has
made significant contributions to
developing new academic curricula
at both graduate and undergraduate
levels and has expanded several
international academic exchanges and
partnerships leading to both student
exchanges and scholarship activities
among collaborating institutions.
He is a Fellow of the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers and
a senior member of the Institute for
Electrical and Electronic Engineers.
Eskandarian received his bachelor’s
degree and Ph.D. from George
Washington University and a master’s
degree from Virginia Tech.