Soma Chakrabarti Email & Phone Number

Atlanta, Georgia, Us

At IACEE, I am a volunteer leader and was elected by the 2024-26 Council to serve as Secretary-General on June 28, 2024. I am the chief administration officer of IACEE for the Council term 2024-26 and am generally the first point of contact for information or details about IACEE activities. I am responsible for the administrative management of the organization and provide the coordinating link between members, the Governing Council, and external stakeholders. This is a perfect role to utilize my vast academic and corporate experiences as well as my knowledge and experiences in leading professional organization activities at ASEE, IFEES, GEDC, SEFI, and, of course, IACEE.

Atlanta, Georgia, Us

▪️As a volunteer leader, I lead a professional organization of 350+ members from 36 countries that support lifelong learning in engineering and lead 20-member Council of professionals from 12 countries. As the president, I am currently involved in worldwide projects on sustainability research and education and continuing engineering education leadership development.▪️▪️Visit www.iacee.org to learn more. Send an email at info@iacee.org.▪️

Canonsburg, Pa, Us

I just retired from Ansys. At Ansys, I was responsible for leading its strategic engagement with engineering education professional organizations networks and utilization of such networks for strategic academic engagement, leading to symbiotic partnerships development with higher education institutions for inspiring engineering education programs that develop the future generation of the engineering workforce.

Canonsburg, Pa, Us

At Ansys, I led the educational programmatic resources team in materials to –- provide teaching resources for materials education worldwide,- conduct educational webinars and - participate in conferences for engineering education, lifelong learning in engineering, aerospace engineering, biomedical engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering and engineering pedagogy.

Fairfax, Va, Us

▪️As a consultant, I provided advising and consulting to services to educational service providers worldwide and helping them in developing continuing engineering education programs and international partnerships in higher education.▪️▪️I worked with higher education service providers and universities as an independent consultant to provide an organizational strategy for -- programmatic direction- online learning- demand and competition research- analysis of research and program development- systemization of processes- international partnership development for program delivery- customized report and infographics generation using program data▪️

Madison, Wi, Us

▪️I led and oversaw the implementation of the Summer Term strategic plan in collaboration with campus leadership, the Vice Provost of Lifelong Learning, Associate Deans, school/college Summer Deans, student life units and other campus partners. In this very productive time, I also prepared a three-year strategic growth plan that concentrates on innovative and interdisciplinary program conceptualization. ▪️

Newark, De, Us

Provided vision, strategic direction, programmatic leadership and oversight to all academic and professional programs (20-22 FTE, 15 PTE) at the Division. The portfolio included digital learning administration (registration, assessment, instructional design and compliance), face-to-face, online, blended, hybrid and mobile noncredit continuing professional development programs such as certificates, workshops, conferences, seminars, short courses and customized programs in the region and beyond; continuing studies information and registration management for non-degree students; and advising and counseling services for nontraditional students and working professionals. Led the 2015-2017 strategic planning process and implementation of the strategic plan for the functional units supervised. Co-led the 2015-2017 strategic planning process of the Division with the Leadership Team.Led a team of business analyst, marketing manager, web developer, registrar, IT specialists, financial specialist, content manager, proctoring manager for successful implementation of a management information system for the subunits to reduce redundancy and streamline processes for program management, registration, enrollment management, financial management and reporting.Led the University’s effort in becoming a member of a National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements for compliance of distance learning programs by collaborating with the Office of General Counsel, Deputy Provost, Colleges and Departments, Institutional Research and Effectiveness, State of Delaware Department of Education and Southern Regional Education Board.As a member of Chief Diversity Advocates team of the University, worked with the Vice Provost for Diversity and other team members on the goals delineated in Inclusive Excellence, a blueprint for diversity at UD, and implementing the University’s strategic priory on diversity within the Division.

Lawrence, Ks, Us

Founded and led Center for Engineering and Interdisciplinary Professional Education at KU Continuing Education, developed the Center's strategic vision and mission in alignment with the overall goals, mission and vision of the University and Continuing Education Division, established the Center’s strategic goals and priorities, and led a team of 13 staff to execute the action plans. Led the Center’s overall program development and marketing strategy for financial sustainability by carefully researching and monitoring the worldwide engineering and related industry trends and training requirements and by monitoring key business indicators. Provided leadership in the continuation of a regional partnership with a multinational company for yearlong presentation of 40-week, 120-hour customized Engineering Management Certificate Program that prepared engineers for leadership track.Provided leadership and oversight to online non-credit Engineering Technology Certificate Program that provided virtual training for globally distributed engineers, technicians and managers and added $1.5 M revenue stream in three years.

Lawrence, Ks, Us

Developed and executed an organizational strategy in collaboration with Executive Director, Senior Associate Director and Associate Dean to restructure and reorganize KU Continuing education, and established a shared vision, goals and priorities in 2011 to build on the strength, knowledge, skills and abilities of the existing people after a revenue generating unit was separated from the organization.Directed the Division’s international continuing professional education efforts and collaborated with KU Medical Center Continuing Education and Professional Development to initiate and coordinate China Healthcare Leadership Training Program that provided best practices training to 25 senior healthcare executives from China at the KU Hospital in December 2013; the program was developed in partnership with the United States Trade and Development Agency and the Healthcare Cooperation Program of the American Chamber of Commerce.

Lawrence, Ks, Us

Established metrics-driven strategic goals, created a strategic roadmap and successfully executed the action plans to (1) increase gross revenue by 49% in three years, (2) increase repeat participants by 30%, (3) increase the number of participants by 30%, (4) increase number of events by 25%, and (5) increase net revenue by four-fold by reducing unnecessary operational, travel and course management costs Increased international participation in open enrollment aerospace courses from 17 to 39% between 2007 and 2012Increased percentage of onsite course presentations outside the U.S. from 20 to 40% with the addition of 16 countries including China, India, Brazil, South Korea, Israel and Turkey; built key relationships with senior managers and officials leading to significant contractsDirected international multi-organizational team of four organizations (University of Kansas, Shanghai Aircraft Airworthiness Certification Center of Civil Aviation Administration of China, Commercial Aircraft Company of China, Ltd. and Civil Aviation University of China) for aerospace engineering and aircraft certification training to three Chinese organizations for a total of 15 weeks in Lawrence-KS in two groupsIntroduced certificate tracks and worked with the Advisory Board to introduce more than 25 coursesCollaborated with more than 50 instructors and introduced activity, evaluation and cost-recovery based honoraria system. Established framework for asynchronous online aerospace and aviation course development process and system to design and develop online courses and certificates for working, mobile professionals, thus increasing 1,500 learning hours per year

Lawrence, Ks, Us

Directed Aerospace Short Course Program day-to-day operation and management, developed short courses for aerospace professional development, increased international presence.Led and managed Wichita Educational Partnership that provided yearlong educational services to five Wichita-based aerospace companies for five consecutive years.Reinvested retained overage (40% of net) in newer program developmentincreased the number of participation by 15%Initiated online and multimedia-based non-credit course delivery process. Increased the unit’s international presence by conducting first-ever courses in mainland China, Turkey, Ireland and South Africa.

Lawrence, Ks, Us

Managed the in-house classes by marketing to corporate and military clients and understanding their needsActed as a liaison between client and instructor to develop newer contents or customization of existing contentWorked with the clients on budgeting, contractual and negotiation processes, procurement of the courses and followed up with the clients for evaluation

Formed partnerships with the University of Kansas Center for Research, ICE, Inc. (a Kansas company), Lytmos, LLC (a Missouri company), and Tianjin Zhong Huan Sanjin Co., Ltd. in China for a near commercial quality true 3-D display system development Licensed three patents owned by the University of Kansas from the University of Kansas Center for Research (KUCR) Developed operating processes and systems management in collaboration with the company Advisory Board that consisted of professionals from University of Kansas, Lawrence Regional Technology Center, Kansas Technology Enterprise Corporation and other Kansas and Missouri companies for start-up developmentAs principal investigator, conducted innovative research on true 3-D display system and secured a total of $591,442 of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I and Phase II grants from National Science Foundation by leading a team of engineers, managers, consultants and students for the development of the system.

Lawrence, Ks, Us

Conducted research on biomedical engineering and taught chemical engineering at the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering.

Lawrence, Ks, Us

Researched on synthesis and activities of antithrombic peptides.

In

Conducted biochemical engineering research and product development.

Kolkata, West Bengal, In

Taught biochemical engineering at the Chemical Technology department.

New Delhi, In

Ph.D, Biochemical Engineering

M. Tech., B.Tech., Chemical Technology