Engineering Faculty Council

The Engineering Faculty Council (EFC) of the Pratt School of Engineering represents the faculty and advises the dean on policy and priorities. Its responsibilities include establishing ad hoc committees to consider and report on matters of concern to the faculty.

The faculty, through the EFC, is also responsible for approving courses offered to undergraduates and courses offered to students in Engineering Professional Degree programs in the Pratt School of Engineering, as well as for oversight of all Engineering Professional Degree programs.

The EFC holds monthly regular meetings during the academic year. Additionally, the Vinik Dean of Engineering and the EFC chair organize general meetings of the Engineering Faculty in the fall and spring.

Membership

Serving July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025

Chair

Pranam Chatterjee

Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering
pranam.chatterjee@duke.edu

Secretary

Sophia Santillan

Associate Professor of the Practice in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science
sophia.santillan@duke.edu

Representatives

Biomedical Engineering

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science

Past EFC members »

Procedures:

The Bylaws of the Engineering Faculty prescribe all processes and policies regarding faculty governance. In particular, the bylaws prescribe all details of how EFC is elected and what are each member's terms. The following bulleted list provides a practical summary but the language in the bylaws is ultimately binding.

  • The EFC will be composed of two voting faculty members from each department and the Dean of Engineering (ex officio)
  • Members are elected to two-year terms and may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms
  • The first of each department's representatives will be elected in even-numbered years by the voting membership of the faculty of the Pratt School of Engineering
  • Voting is held prior to the spring meeting by secret ballot
  • The Dean of Engineering and the Chair of the EFC will be in charge of the election process
  • Tie votes will be resolved by re-balloting
  • The faculty in each department will elect the second representative from its own membership in odd-numbered years, prior to the spring meeting
  • Each department chair, or chair's designated representative, will prescribe the procedures for counting the votes for the second of these representatives
  • If a representative is unable to complete a term of office, a replacement will be selected by the same voting process by which the original representative was elected
  • The EFC will normally meet monthly during the academic year
  • A quorum for the conduct of business will be a simple majority of the membership of the EFC
  • Immediately following the spring meeting of the engineering faculty, the Engineering Faculty Council meets to elect by secret ballot its own chair and secretary (who serves in the chair's absence)
  • Election is for one-year terms

Past MEMBERS

Served 2023-2024

Chair

Volker Blum

Associate Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science
volker.blum@duke.edu

Secretary

Michael Gustafson

Associate Professor of the Practice of Electrical & Computer Engineering
mrg@duke.edu

Representatives

Biomedical Engineering

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Electrical & Computer Engineering

Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science