Trustees’ Award for Faculty Excellence

Mateen Rizki

The documented accomplishments of this year’s Trustee’s Award winner, Mateen Rizki, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, reveal an extraordinary faculty member who has poured his life into students, staff and faculty at Wright State for nearly three decades.

Letters of testimony from university leaders and executives of regional industries and government describe facets of excellence as an award-winning teacher, prolific scholar, visionary leader and effective mentor whose legacy includes organizations, governing bodies, improved processes and changed lives all clearly impacted by Rizki’s guidance.

Learning communities for international students, help rooms for undergraduates, Scale-Up classroom innovation and Ohio’s first graduate cyber security program are all major successes for the Wright State community and examples of Rizki’s exceptional visionary spirit. Under Rizki’s leadership, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering has led the university in enrollment growth, enabling students to embark on successful careers and positively impacting the regional economy.

As a skillful leader, Rizki has leveraged an impressive repertoire of positions of authority to shape policies and procedures affecting curriculum, facilities and budget that have set Wright State on a beneficial course for navigating the dynamic landscape of high-value higher education.
One need look no farther than Rizki for an example of exceptionally strong and effective leadership.