Sidd Kaza named Towson University’s Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies

March 15, 2022

This message was sent on behalf of President Kim Schatzel and Melanie Perreault, Provost and Executive Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs:

Dear Towson University students, faculty & staff,

We are very pleased to announce that Sidd Kaza, Ph.D. has accepted the senior leadership position as Towson University’s Associate Provost for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies. Dr. Kaza was clearly the top candidate after an extensive national search that yielded a field of very qualified candidates. He begins his appointment July 5, 2022.

Dr. Kaza will be the inaugural leader in this important role for Academic Affairs and the university. He will report directly to the Provost and serve as a member of the Provost's Council. In his new leadership position, Dr. Kaza will advance the transformative influence that research will play in the lives of students, inspiring the faculty and students to engage in creating a productive research environment that will advance President Schatzel’s vision of furthering TU’s impact as an anchor institution for our region and state and achieving Carnegie-Classification R2: High Research institution. 

I want to thank Provost Perreault for her leadership in establishing this role, which was initiated and funded as a presidential priority aimed at achieving these goals in support of TU’s strategic plan, “Leadership for the Public Good.” Dr. Kaza will serve as a key leader for the aligned efforts and strategies required for TU to continue its evolution toward these goals, through a clear research vision consistent with TU's mission while leading and elevating the university's interdisciplinary research activities across a diverse array of programs, ideas and people. 

Dr. Kaza has served as the Chairperson of the Computer and Information Sciences department in TU's Fisher College of Science and Mathematics since 2016. He oversaw a 25 percent increase in students enrolled as CIS majors, two accreditations and a comprehensive review while also creating new programs, including the first dual Computer Science and Mathematics Secondary Education program in Maryland.

He is the Maryland E-Nnovation Endowed Professor of Cybersecurity and director of TU's Cyber4All Center. He's received $12.8M in external funding for research at TU, collaborating with approximately 30 colleagues at TU and supporting more than 60 undergraduate, masters and doctoral students since 2008. A recent grant funded by the National Security Agency includes the U.S. Naval Academy and more than a dozen institutions across the U.S., with TU as the lead. 

Dr. Kaza’s work has been published in top-tier journals and conferences like Decision Support Systems, IEEE Transactions, ACM Transactions, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology and various international conferences.

Dr. Kaza earned a Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from the University of Arizona, and a Master of Science in Computer Science from Central Michigan University and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Delhi.

 

Last year, a search committee was convened with Dr. Lisa Plowfield, Dean of the College of Health Professions, serving as chair. We want to thank the committee for their time and support to identify and recommend the final pool of talented candidates.

 

The search committee included:

• Dr. Kate Collins, Assistant Professor and Program Director, Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts Infusion
• Dr. Michael Dewally, Professor, Department of Finance
• Nancy Dufau, Assistant Vice President, Office of Sponsored Programs and Research
• Dr. Juergen Jung, Professor, Department of Economics
• Dr. Gregory Knollman, Assistant Professor, Special Education
• Dr. Christopher Salice, Professor and Director, Environmental Science & Studies Program
• Dr. Nirmal Srinivasan, Assistant Professor, Department of Speech-Language Pathology, and Audiology
• Lisa Sweeney, Research and Instruction Librarian
• Dr. David Vanko, Dean, Fisher College of Science and Mathematics

We also want to thank Chief Human Resource Officer and VP of Operations Steve Jones, as well as Jennifer Stano, Nyasha Lumumba and the Office of Human Resources staff for their tremendous support throughout the search.

We know you all will join us in congratulating Sidd on his new role within the Towson University community and offering our support as he transitions into this important leadership position. 

Sincerely,

Kim Schatzel, Ph.D.

President

Melanie Perreault, Ph.D.

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs