The University of Arkansas announced the creation of the Chitra & Panneer Selvam Endowed Professorship in Civil Engineering on Friday.
Funded by longtime professor and researcher R. Panneer Selvam and his wife, Chitra, the $1 million gift aims to support faculty excellence and expand research opportunities in the high-impact area of computer modeling and computational mechanics.
A press release from the university stated that the endowed faculty position in the Department of Civil Engineering is a “transformational gift for the program’s future.”
The professorship prioritizes support for graduate students. It is intended to support academic advancement in computer modeling in science and engineering, a field where Selvam has made significant contributions. His work includes studies on tornado forces on buildings, thermal energy storage in concrete and electronic cooling systems.
Selvam has been working in science and engineering since the mid-1980s, from conducting research in Australia and Denmark to starting the Computational Mechanics Laboratory, one of the first high-performance computing labs on U of A campus. Through this professorship, he hopes to ensure that others have the same chance to innovate and excel.
Once the endowment is fully vested, the college’s dean will conduct a national search in collaboration with the department to select the inaugural holder of the professorship. According to Hale, the ideal candidate will be a scholar with a nationally recognized research program in computer modeling or computational mechanics.
“Gifts like this from the Selvam family help us recruit and retain top faculty,” Micah Hale, department head for civil engineering, said in the press release. “It will also provide support for the research mission of the university, allowing the professorship holder to fund both undergraduate and graduate students, purchase needed equipment and present research at national and international conferences.”
Born in India, Selvam was expected to forgo academics after high school to take over the family-owned grocery store. Panneer remained at home and sat quietly during store hours to demonstrate to his father that he was determined to pursue higher education. His father eventually relented.
“I found a career in teaching and research here,” Selvam said in the release. “I hope this will help raise the department and the university to the next level in national ranking and recognition.”
University Chancellor Charles Robinson said in the release that the gift will help elevate the civil engineering program and “empower” the next generation of scholars to conduct high-impact research.
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