Professor Changchun (Chad) Zeng Ph.D., has been reappointed as chair of the industrial and manufacturing engineering (IME) department at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering in Tallahassee, Florida. (Mark Wallheiser/FAMU-FSU College of Engineering)
Dean Suvranu De has reappointed Changchun (Chad) Zeng, Ph.D. as chair of the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) for a second term, effective July 1, 2026, following the recommendation of the Department Chair Reappointment Committee and strong support from the IME faculty. Zeng has led IME since 2022.
“Chad came into this role with a clear vision for where industrial and manufacturing engineering was headed, and this department has delivered,” De said. “Research awards have grown nearly sixfold, doctoral enrollment is up, and the faculty he’s built around him are doing some of the most compelling work in the college. I’m glad to have him leading IME into the next chapter.”
The results from Zeng’s first term reflect that momentum. Annual research awards grew from $1.95 million in FY2021 to $13.64 million in FY2025, a nearly 600% increase. Research expenditures climbed by nearly 400% over the same period, reaching $6.5 million. Doctoral enrollment grew by more than 27%, and the number of underrepresented minority graduate students rose by 22%. In the U.S. News & World Report national rankings, IME climbed three positions since 2024, now sitting at 65th nationally and among the top four engineering departments in Florida. The department added five tenure-track faculty during the term including the first joint faculty within the college, bringing the total to 19, and faculty collectively hold 18 unique patents across the five-year period.
“I am humbled by the overwhelming support from the department. I have always make it that clear the role of the chair is to serve and ensure the success of our faculty, staff and most importantly, students. It is gratifying to see the department is growing at an accelerating pace. What we accomplished in the last four years have laid a strong foundation to further propel the department growth in areas of critical national importance.”
Zeng joined the IME department in 2007, hired directly from industry. His research spans innovative materials and advanced manufacturing, with depth in multifunctional polymeric materials, porous materials, composites, nanomaterials and biomaterials. He has attracted funding from the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, and holds 16 patents. He is a recipient of FSU’s Developing Scholar Award and the college’s Research Excellence Award.
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