The Cooper Union is pleased to announce Neveen Shlayan as Chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering.

Shlayan is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering whose academic research focuses on the modeling and applications of cyber-physical systems, with particular interests in autonomy and transportation systems. She established Cooper Union’s Autonomy Lab, creating opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience developing and retrofitting autonomous vehicles.

At Cooper, Shlayan has also spearheaded the development of and currently coordinates the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) program, bringing students and faculty together in long-term, multidisciplinary project teams. Her broader work in engineering education focuses on experiential and interdisciplinary learning, student professional and career agency, and creating stronger connections among the classroom, research, industry, and innovation.

As Chair, Shlayan is leading efforts to reimagine the undergraduate Electrical Engineering experience while preserving the technical depth and rigor that have long distinguished a Cooper education. Her vision includes a more integrated curriculum with meaningful opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, hands-on experimentation and design, engagement with real-world engineering problems, and the integration of ethics and professional practice throughout the undergraduate experience.

Central to her vision is the student experience. Shlayan is committed to creating an environment in which students have the freedom and support to explore their interests, discover the kinds of engineers they want to become, and develop the agency to intentionally shape their own careers. She sees Cooper’s close-knit community, extraordinary access to faculty, and culture of intellectual intensity as an opportunity to create an undergraduate engineering experience that is deeply rigorous, highly personal, and responsive to a rapidly changing profession.

“I am deeply honored to serve as Chair of Electrical Engineering and to build on the department’s extraordinary tradition of rigor, creativity, and technical excellence. I believe Cooper has a rare opportunity to reimagine what an undergraduate engineering education can be; one that gives students not only deep technical expertise, but also the space to experiment, work across disciplines, engage with real-world and ethical challenges, and discover what kind of engineers they want to become. My goal is for our students to leave Cooper with the knowledge, agency, and confidence to shape their own careers and help shape the future of engineering.” - Neveen Shlayan