Linda Katehi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Linda Katehi
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Katehi in 2015
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| Sixth Chancellor at the University of California, Davis | |
| In office August 17, 2009 – August 9, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Larry N. Vanderhoef |
| Succeeded by | Gary S. May |
| Provost and Vice Chancellor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | |
| In office 2005–2009 |
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| John Edwardson Dean of Engineering Purdue University | |
| In office 2005–2009 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Pisti Basile Katehi
January 30, 1954 Athens, Greece |
| Residences | Davis, California, USA |
| Alma mater | National Technical University of Athens (Greece) Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science (University of California, Los Angeles) |
| Profession | University Administrator, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Women and Gender Studies |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Electrical engineering |
| Institutions | |
| Thesis | A generalized solution to a class of printed circuit antennas (1984) |
| Doctoral advisor | Nicolaos Alexopoulos |
Linda Pisti Basile Katehi-Tseregounis (born January 30, 1954) is an engineering professor and former university leader. She was born in Greece and later became an American citizen. Linda Katehi was chosen to be a member of the National Academy of Engineering in 2006. This was because of her important work with integrated circuits and her efforts in engineering education.
She worked as a leader at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign from 2006 to 2009. Before that, she was the dean of engineering at Purdue University from 2002 to 2006. In 2009, she became the sixth chancellor of the University of California, Davis. In 2016, she resigned from her role as chancellor. This happened after an investigation into how some university rules were followed. She then continued her work as an electrical engineering professor. Since 2019, she has been a professor at Texas A&M University.
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Early Life and Education
Linda Katehi was born in Athens, Greece. She grew up on Salamis Island. After finishing high school, she was accepted into the National Technical University of Athens.
In 1977, Katehi earned her degree in electrical engineering. She was one of only two women in her class of 189 students. She has shared that this led to many challenges for her. These experiences encouraged her to help other women and minority groups. She wanted to support them in careers related to engineering and science.
Katehi became interested in electrical engineering as a teenager. This happened in 1969 when she watched Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 Moon landing. She was fascinated by the astronauts. But she was even more inspired by the engineers working in mission control on Earth.
After graduation, she worked for two years as a researcher. This was at the Naval Research Lab in Athens. A mentor then encouraged her to apply for graduate school in the United States. She moved to the U.S. in 1979. She earned her master's and doctorate degrees in electrical engineering. Both degrees were from UCLA's Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She completed them in 1981 and 1984.
Career Highlights
Linda Katehi started her teaching career in Greece. She taught at the National Technical University of Athens from 1977 to 1978. After that, she worked as a researcher for the Ministry of National Defence.
In the U.S., Katehi worked at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She was a professor of electrical engineering and computer science from 1984 to 2001. She also became an associate dean there in 1994. In 2002, she became the engineering dean at Purdue University. During her time at Purdue, she helped increase the number of faculty members. She also boosted research funding in the engineering department.
In 2005, Katehi made history at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She became the first female provost and vice-chancellor. After four years, she became the 6th Chancellor of the University of California, Davis in 2009. She was the first woman to hold this top leadership role at UC Davis.
Katehi is an expert in circuit design. Her research mainly focuses on antennas. She holds 19 patents for her inventions. Throughout her academic career, she has guided over 70 postdoctoral fellows. These are researchers who have already earned their doctorates.
Beyond her university roles, Katehi served on important national committees. President George W. Bush appointed her to the committee for the National Medal of Science. She also chaired the committee for the National Medal of Technology and Innovation. She was also appointed to the FBI's National Security Higher Education Advisory Board in 2010.
Katehi is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2011, she was chosen for the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is also part of the National Academy of Engineering. There, she led a committee focused on K-12 engineering education for two years.
She has received several awards for her academic work. These include the AHC Aristeio Award in Academics in 2011. She also received a Gabby Award for her achievements in education and academia in 2011. In 2014, she received an honorary degree from the American College of Greece.
In 2015, the National Academy of Engineering gave Linda Katehi the Simon Ramo Founders Award. This award recognized her "extraordinary impact on the engineering profession." It also honored her "leadership in engineering research and education." In 2019, Katehi became a professor at Texas A&M University.
Board Memberships
Linda Katehi has served on the boards of several important organizations:
- John Wiley & Sons, a textbook publisher
- The Committee on Institutional Cooperation
- The Cyprus Institute
- Valley Vision
- The Bay Area Council Economic Institute
- The Business Higher Education Forum
Leading UC Davis
Linda Katehi became the chancellor of University of California, Davis in August 2009. She also held teaching positions in electrical and computer engineering and women and gender studies. As chancellor, she started new initiatives for the university. She created a "Vision of Excellence" plan for the school's future. She also launched special committees to improve areas like research and technology.
In response to campus protests in 2010, Katehi started the Hate-Free Campus Initiative. This program aimed to strengthen the campus's values of respect and understanding. It included events like "Beyond Tolerance Tuesday" and a speaker series.
Under Katehi's leadership, UC Davis helped host a major climate summit in 2010. This event focused on building a "green economy." It aimed to find ways to grow the economy while reducing pollution.
In 2013, Katehi launched the UC Davis World Food Center. This center aims to bring together the university's many programs related to food, health, and sustainability. In 2015, she announced plans for a new location for the center in downtown Sacramento.
In 2014, UC Davis partnered with Mars, Incorporated. They created the Innovation Institute for Food and Health. This institute works on new ideas in food and health. Mars pledged $40 million to the project over 10 years. UC Davis committed $20 million.
UC Davis also announced plans to build a large solar power plant. This plant would provide 14 percent of the university's electricity. This project helps UC Davis use more clean energy.
Katehi also worked to increase the number of Latino students at UC Davis. The university aimed to become a Hispanic Serving Institution. This means having at least 25% Latino undergraduate students by the 2018–2019 school year.
In 2016, Katehi invited the public to help build the Shrem Museum. People could sign a steel beam that would be part of the building. The museum will hold UC Davis's art collection.
Administrative Leave and Resignation
On April 27, 2016, the President of the University of California, Janet Napolitano, placed Chancellor Katehi on leave. This was to allow an investigation into possible violations of university policies. The investigation looked into concerns about how some staff members were hired and promoted.
On August 9, 2016, the UC President announced that she accepted Katehi's resignation. The investigation found that Katehi had not always been open and had made some poor decisions. It also found that she had violated several university policies. After her resignation as chancellor, Katehi remained a professor of electrical engineering.
Supporting STEM Education
Linda Katehi has been a strong supporter of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In 2011, she wrote about her support for the California STEM Learning Network. This network works to promote STEM fields. It also encourages more students to pursue STEM careers.
In 2012, Katehi received a large grant from the National Science Foundation. This grant helped UC Davis create a program to increase female participation in STEM. Katehi led this project. Part of the grant money was used to create the Center for the Advancement of Multicultural Perspectives on Science (CAMPOS). This center focuses on increasing diversity in STEM, especially supporting Latinas.
In October 2012, Katehi was named one of "Leading Women in STEM." This recognition was for her work in creating more STEM opportunities for women and girls. She also served as a role model in the field. She has given many speeches about her work in STEM.
Return to Teaching
In July 2017, Linda Katehi began teaching again at UC Davis. She took on a role as a "distinguished professor." She taught one engineering class each academic quarter. In 2019, she moved to Texas A&M University as a professor.
