October 29, 2011
Karan Watson, Ph.D., P.E.
Baltimore, MD - Texas A&M University Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Karan Watson, Ph.D., P.E., has been sworn in as President-Elect of ABET, the world leader in higher education accreditation for applied science, computing, engineering, and technology programs.
She was elected by the ABET Board of Directors in March and was formally installed on October 29, setting the stage for her to lead the organization in 2012-13.
Watson has been involved with ABET and accreditation for more than 20 years. She was a program evaluator from IEEE (formerly the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) and served on ABET's Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) from 2001 through 2006. Most recently, she is the representative director from the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) on the ABET Board of Directors.
She joined Texas A&M University as a member of the electrical engineering faculty in 1983 and has subsequently held increasingly responsible academic and administrative positions, including that of Associate Dean of Engineering and Dean of Faculties. She was named Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs in March after having served in that capacity on an interim basis. She also holds the rank of Regents Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Watson received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D., all in electrical engineering, from Texas Tech University.
Press release courtesy of Texas A&M University
About ABET
ABET, the recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology, is a federation of 31 professional and technical societies representing these fields. Among the most respected accreditation organizations in the U.S., ABET has provided leadership and quality assurance in higher education for more than 75 years.
ABET currently accredits over 3,100 programs at more than 600 colleges and universities worldwide. More than 2,000 dedicated volunteers participate annually in ABET activities. ABET also provides leadership internationally through workshops, memoranda of understanding, and mutual recognition agreements, such as the Washington Accord. ABET is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.