College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture Announces Ladimer Nagurney's Retirement

Ladimer Nagurney, professor of electrical, computer, and biomedical engineering in the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA), is retiring after 34 years on the University of Hartford faculty.

Nagurney joined the University of Hartford in 1986 as an assistant professor of electrical engineering immediately after completing his PhD at Brown University. He was awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor in 1992, then promoted to professor in 2013. From March 1995 to December 1998, he served as the second consortium director of the Connecticut Space Grant. He also served as a visiting professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden. He was a JOVE Fellow at NASA’s Lewis (now Glenn) Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and a visiting researcher at the NSF Center for the Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA).

His teaching interests included: First-Year Engineering and Design; Digital Signal Processing; Communication Engineering; and Sensors, Transducers and Data Acquisition. During his career at the University of Hartford, Nagurney has taught over 25 courses at all levels including ECE, ECT, ES, and BE courses. In the early 1990s, he introduced Digital Signal Processing (DSP) courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. He convinced the department that the time was right to institute a required course in Digital Signal Processing for undergraduate electrical engineering students, making the University of Hartford one of the first institutions to do so.

Nagurney has been an intricate part of CETA during his time with the University. According to Dean Hisham Alnajjar, Nagurney inspired him when he joined the University of Hartford as a faculty member in 1995.

“From the beginning, Lad was a great mentor to me and provided me with valuable, lifelong advice,” Alnajjar says. “He is a problem solver and an asset for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the College, and the University. He loves to help students and I was always impressed with his creative solutions and willingness to help out. We will dearly miss his positivity, humor, and ever-present jokes.”

In addition to his role as a faculty member, Nagurney has served as the interim department head for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, served as director for the Bachelor of Science degree programs in electrical and computer engineering, and was internship coordinator for the College.

“There is very little in CETA that does not bear the imprint of Lad’s service,” says Ying Yu, chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “At one time or another, he has served on almost every committee in the College. He played an instrumental role when the School of Engineering and Ward College of Technology merged, harmonizing the various rules for P&T, internship requirements, and more for the two colleges. Lad has served on more faculty search committees than I can count, including chairing the search committees that hired both Dean Hisham Alnajjar and me as assistant professors. Lad took the lead in preparing and organizing the assessment for the past two ABET visits for our undergraduate electrical engineering and computer engineering programs, and is continuing that work for our next visit. Lad was also the Commencement chief marshal, and planned and led the CETA degree ceremony for many years.”

At the University, Nagurney was a Pre-Law advisor, spent a decade on the University Judicial Board, and served on the Faculty Senate, Sabbatical Committee, and a host of other committees. He is currently part of the Full Professor Standards Task Force and the NIECHE Accreditation Mission and Vision Committee preparing for the University’s 2021 reaccreditation visit. Nagurney has been a journal reviewer, NSF proposal reviewer, and has engaged in a broad range of other activities related to his profession.

Throughout his career at the University of Hartford, Nagurney has continued his scholarship. He has authored or co-authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications (including a book) in areas including electronic communications, engineering design, and large-scale network systems applied to numerous areas. Over 15 of his articles were published after he became a full professor. Over the years, Nagurney has mentored dozens of electrical and computer engineering master’s students working on complex projects.

His work was recognized in several venues. Nagurney was selected as a Fellow of the Radio Club of America, the oldest professional society related to the electronics of communication. He was also elected to the Society of Sigma Xi and Eta Kappa Nu. He is a Life Senior Member of IEEE and a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Connecticut. Nagurney has served as the Trustee of the Bement School and the Fund Manager for the Lafayette College Class of 1972.

Prior to the University of Hartford, Nagurney taught at Springfield Technical Community College, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island.

Nagurney summed up his career saying, “It’s been a great 34-year journey. However, it would not have been possible without the support of my family, faculty colleagues, our exemplary staff, and the countless outstanding students who have made being on the University of Hartford faculty so rewarding.”