Ahmad Itani
Foundation Professor & Associate Vice President for Research
University of Nevada, Reno Innevation Center
Reno, NV USA
“Put yourself in other people’s shoes and see why they do what they do. You’ll learn a lot from that.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationAhmad Itani
01:04
Ahmad Itani Highlight03:48
Interview01:44
Leaving A War-Torn Home02:05
My Career Path01:17
Importance Of Having Empathy As An Engineer00:44
Being A Leader Means Helping Others Succeed02:01
Day In The Life Of The Vice President For Research
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
Growing up in Lebanon, there were really only two educational paths: medicine and engineering—I chose engineering because I couldn’t handle the sight of blood.
I came to the U.S. in 1985 when I was 22 years old to escape Lebanon’s civil war and further my education.
I received my master’s degree and Ph.D. in civil engineering at the University of Michigan.
When I finished my Ph.D., I found a job in California at the state’s earthquake office—I moved across the country by myself to find a place to live before flying back to Michigan to bring my family.
After three years in California, I relocated to the earthquake engineering group at University of Nevada, Reno.
My expertise as a researcher is in the seismic behavior of steel bridges and structures.
I thought I would work at the University of Nevada, Reno, for a few years and then move on, but I ended up staying and moving up through the ranks over the years.
After holding the position of department chair, I now work as the associate vice president for research where my main goal is to help our researchers achieve their full potential.
Education
High School
Career
Foundation Professor & Associate Vice President for Research
I help the university's researchers get more proposals and funding and then enable their research.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Education
Engineering
Helping People
Day to Day
I talk to department chairs, deans, and faculty at the university to understand what we have and what we need. I encourage the development of multidisciplinary projects, help faculty make connections to other colleagues and opportunities, and develop resources, infrastructure, and student involvement to support research and scholarly activities. My daily contribution is to dissolve administrative barriers while fostering a culture that serves research.
Skills & Qualities Beyond School
As a leader, it's important to be an active listener. You need to know how to really listen to people and figure out what they need to succeed. On top of that, you need to be empathetic and be able to put yourself in the other person's shoes to understand their situation.
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
Learn how to manage your time so that you can devote time every day to your studies. College is a journey, not the final destination, but this time in college is very important in molding your future, through your coursework and the extra-curricular skills you'll learn along the way. If you have a job or other obligations, make sure you're still giving a significant amount of time and effort to your college life.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
From Society in General:
"Don't ask for help."
Challenges I Overcame
Gangs / Violence
First-Generation Immigrant
Interviewed By
All In
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