Dr. Joseph Monroe: (Retired) Dean of the College of Engineering at North Carolina A&T
Posted on 02. Aug, 2010 by Leshell Hatley in Computer Science, Scholarly Celebrations
Dr. Joseph Monroe was the first African American in the country to obtain a Ph.D. in computer science in 1972, from Texas A&M University. A founding member of the first Computer Science Honor Society (now an international society), he established an accredited computer science program at A&T; held a Ronald E. McNair Endowed Chair Professorship in Computer Science at A&T (1991-2009); chaired the department of computer science at A&T (1991-2000); and served as dean of the COE at A&T (2000-2009).
“Dean Monroe has shown exemplary leadership in our prestigious College of Engineering, the nation’s No. 1 producer of African American engineers,” Thompson said (North Carolina A&T State University Interim Provost & Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Alton Thompson). “As one of our 1962 engineering mathematics graduates, Monroe brought valuable high-tech contributions to his beloved alma mater following a celebrated military, higher education and international career.”
Education
Dr. Joseph Monroe earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering Mathematics from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (NCA&TSU) in 1962.
Dr. Monroe then achieved a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Texas Agricultural & Mechanical University (TAMU) in 1967.
Leadership
Dr. Monroe was a founding member of the first Computer Science Honor Society, Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE), in this same year (1967). UPE is the only national and international honor society in Computer Science; its purpose is to promote outstanding scholarship and original investigation in the field of computer science.
Career
Dr. Monroe subsequently assumed a faculty position at the United States Air Force Academy, where he advanced through both the academic and the military ranks during twenty-one years of service. He rose from Instructor to full Professor and from Captain to full Colonel while at the Academy.
United States Air Force Academy
In 1978, Dr. Monroe became the first African-American Permanent Professor at the United States Air Force Academy. This type of appointment is an honor of great distinction. There are no appointments at civilian institutions of higher learning that are equivalent to this appointment. Permanent Professors at the United States Air Force Academy are selected from the entire Air Force and they must have both outstanding academic qualifications and documented achievements of extraordinary significance. The President of the United States, with the advice and consent of the United States Senate, has the exclusive privilege to appoint Permanent Professors at the Academy. Dr. Monroe joined a very elite group of only twenty-two Permanent Professors out of a faculty of six hundred members when he received this appointment.
Other Positions
Dr. Monroe succeeded in numerous positions during his tenure at the Air Force Academy. He was the Assistant Dean of Faculty (1978-1981), the Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering (1981-1982) and the Head of the Department of Computer Science (1982-1987). In 1985, he hosted a successful accreditation visit by the Computer Science Accrediting Board (CSAB). The computer science program at the Academy was not only accredited during this visit; it joined the very first group of programs to be accredited by CSAB. Since this visit, Dr. Monroe continues to serve as an annual Visitor for CSAB and he has developed, delivered, and implemented accredited computer science programs for the Egyptian Air Force Academy, the Royal Thai Air Force Academy, Fayetteville State University, and North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University.
Leadership at North Carolina A&T
A strong proponent of professionalism in the engineering curricula with concern for undergraduate students, Monroe led an intense focus for all students in the college to obtain their professional licensure as engineers. A&T students are now more likely to take the exam required for this licensure, and are now passing the exam at a rate that is equal to or above the national average.
Monroe led the development of new programs in computer engineering, geomatics, computational science and engineering, and biomedical engineering (fall 2009 deployment). Geomatics leads A&T in the establishment of on-line courses, which will result in increasing professionalism in the surveying profession. In addition, all programs recently reviewed by ABET, the professional accrediting agency for colleges/schools of engineering, were successfully accredited.
Under Monroe’s leadership, A&T now has the most tenured or tenure track African American engineering professors in the nation. This is vital for A&T’s status as a national leader in the production of African American engineers at the bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. levels. During Monroe’s tenure, A&T graduated 21 Ph.D. engineers in 2004 and consequently achieved reclassification by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a “high research activity” doctoral university. He has vigorously supported research efforts and was instrumental in A&T’s No. 3 rank in the UNC System for research funding (over $11,400,000 awarded to COE in 2007-2008). A&T was awarded an Engineering Research Center (ERC) by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2008. A&T is the first HBCU to obtain this award.
A native of North Carolina, Monroe is a strong proponent of collaborations that fosters A&T’s mission in the region and the state. In March 2009, he hosted a conference with two-year colleges across the state and the geomatics program at A&T to ensure a seamless transition for North Carolina students who wish to continue their geomatics training beyond the two-year level. He has vigorously supported many initiatives to ensure a seamless transition for two-year college students into all the engineering programs at A&T.
Other Accomplishments at NC A&T
Since joining the University of North Carolina System, Dr. Monroe has also succeeded in many different capacities. He was the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs for the General Administration of this system from 1987 to 1988. Dr. Monroe then assumed the position of Vice Chancellor for Advancement at Fayetteville State University (1988-1989). He was Vice- Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Fayetteville State University from 1989 to 1991. In 1991, Dr. Monroe was awarded the distinguished Ronald E. McNair Endowed Chair Professorship in Computer Science at NCA&TSU, an appointment that he still vigorously holds today. He was also appointed Chair of the Department of Computer Science in 1991 and he chaired this department until the end of the 2000 academic year. Dr. Monroe is currently the Dean of the College of Engineering at NCA&TSU. In addition, he is a board member of the Board of Directors for the Industries of the Blind (since 1995), a board member of the Board of Directors for Computing at NASA (since 1995), and a Member the Board that governs the practice of Engineering and Surveying in North Carolina (since 1998).
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Information obtained from NC A&T’s website – http://www.ncat.edu.
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