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Illinois Tech has announced that John G. and Jane E. Olin Endowed Department Chair in Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering Louis N. Cattafesta III has been appointed as the new Carol and Ed Kaplan Dean of Armour College of Engineering. Cattafesta will step into the role at the beginning of the 2025–26 academic year. 

Cattafesta will assume his new role after serving as Illinois Tech’s inaugural John G. and Jane E. Olin Endowed Department Chair in Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering since August 1, 2022. 

“I’m honored to welcome Lou as the new dean of Armour College of Engineering,” says Raj Echambadi, president of Illinois Tech. “His pioneering vision will empower Armour College of Engineering to prepare the next generation of innovators, and I am sure that under his leadership, Illinois Tech’s engineering programs will continue to flourish.” 

“I am confident that Lou’s excellent leadership of the Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering and his work as part of the Armour leadership team equip him to bring thoughtful leadership as the college’s new dean,” says Interim Provost Jamshid Mohammadi.   

Cattafesta highlights preparing students to engineer solutions to society’s most pressing challenges as the heart of Armour’s mission. He believes this is achieved through a distinctive education rooted in fundamentals, innovation, and hands-on learning 

“I look forward to working with our faculty, staff, students, alums, and partners to build momentum—strategically growing enrollment, expanding research activity, deepening industry engagement, and supporting student success at every level,” says Cattafesta.

He says his priorities as dean will include modernizing academic programs, fostering convergence research, expanding experiential learning, and increasing Illinois Tech’s national visibility. He intends to diversify revenue streams and build strong partnerships, which he says are critical for achieving financial sustainability in today’s evolving higher education landscape.

“Serving as the next dean of Armour College of Engineering is an incredible honor. My overarching goal is to reestablish a culture of excellence that emphasizes collaboration, shared purpose, and the invaluable contributions of all team members,” he says. “As a STEM-focused institution in the heart of �鶹APP, we benefit from unparalleled access to industry and a vibrant innovation ecosystem. In a time when higher education faces new uncertainties, it’s more important than ever that we remain agile and mission-driven—committed to excellence while navigating shifting external pressures with clarity and unity.”

Before joining Illinois Tech, Cattafesta was the director of the Florida Center for Advanced Aero Propulsion, a University Eminent Scholar, and professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering. He also previously served as a professor at the University of Florida and as a research scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center.

Cattafesta is the author or co-author of seven United States patents, eight book chapters, and more than 100 archival journal publications. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics, and the Royal Aeronautical Society. He also currently serves as an associate editor for Experiments in Fluids. His research focuses on experimental fluid dynamics with an emphasis on flow control and aeroacoustics, including airframe noise, acoustic liners, hybrid acoustic wind tunnels, and phased microphone array beamforming.

He received a B.S. and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Penn State University and an M.S. in Aeronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Photo: Louis Cattafesta, credit to M Wallheiser/FAMU-FSU Engineering