Michigan State University has appointed Nizar Lajnef, professor and associate chair for graduate studies in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, as associate dean for research and strategic partnerships in International Studies and Programs (ISP). Lajnef succeeds Titus Awokuse, who was named vice provost and dean for ISP in January.

Lajnef, who will assume the role on August 16, earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at Tunisia Polytechnic Institute. He continued his studies there, earning a master’s in computational mechanics. Three years later, Lajnef earned both a master’s in civil engineering and a dual doctorate in structural and civil engineering from Michigan State.

“Dr. Lajnef will serve as a much-needed addition for our leadership team as he possesses excellent faculty research and administrative leadership experience, successfully publishing numerous scholarly articles and initiating an online master’s program to meet global demand,” said ISP Vice Provost and Dean Titus Awokuse. “In addition to his fluency in five languages, Dr. Lajnef’s expertise in transformative technologies is an asset to collaborative research partnerships.”