Dawit Haile Dean, College of Engineering and Technology Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs

Dr. Dawit Haile is a professor of Computer Science and Mathematics at Virginia State University (VSU). He currently serves as the Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology and Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs. He also held the position of interim Dean for the College of Natural and Health Sciences from 2019 to 2022. With a career spanning over three decades, Dr. Haile has made significant contributions in both industry and academia, including previous appointments at Xavier University and Southern Illinois University. During his tenure as Chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at VSU, Dr. Haile played a pivotal role in shaping the department’s academic landscape. Under his leadership, the department introduced undergraduate and graduate programs in computer science and bolstered its research capabilities in diverse areas such as machine learning, data mining, and cybersecurity. Dr. Haile’s dedication to excellence has earned him number of accolades, including the prestigious VSU Bank of America Outstanding Faculty award in 2007. This recognition reflects his outstanding contributions in teaching, research, and service. His research interests encompass a wide array of topics, including data analytics, neural networks, combinatorics, graph theory, and data mining. He has authored numerous journal and conference research articles, contributed book chapters, and chaired various conferences. Notably, he has secured more than $20 million in state and federal grant awards to support his research endeavors and graduate students. Beyond his academic responsibilities, Dr. Haile is an active contributor to the broader academic community. He represents Virginia State University on the Board of Directors of the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing and serves as an interim President and Executive Director while chairing the Board of Directors for the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Logistics Systems. His commitment to the Commonwealth of Virginia is further demonstrated by his appointment by the Governor to the Commonwealth’s Manufacturing Development Commission, where he is currently serving his third consecutive four-year term. Dr. Haile is affiliated with various professional organizations, including the Association for Computing Machinery, American Mathematical Society, Mathematical Association of America, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. He also lends his expertise to the advisory board for the Commonwealth Data Internship Program and serves on the Board of the Southeastern Universities Research Association Coastal and Environmental Research Committee. Dr. Haile earned a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Southern Illinois University, a master’s degree in Computer Science from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a master’s degree in Mathematics from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. He currently resides in Chester, Virginia with his wife and two children.