The executive committee of the faculty is the decision-making committee of the faculty. Members of the executive team include the dean and vice-deans, heads of departments and key members of the administrative staff.
Leadership and governance
Meet the faculty.
Caroline Cao, Dean
Professor Caroline G. L. Cao was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa on August 25, 2025.
A researcher, educator, and entrepreneur, Professor Cao brings extensive experience in the design and development of medical systems and devices, as well as enabling technologies such as augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), simulation and training, decision aids, sensory substitution, navigational aids, and robotics for minimally invasive and robotic surgery.
Before joining the University of Ottawa, she was Director of Health Technology Initiatives and Professor of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering, and Director of Engineering Innovation and Medical Simulation, and a Health Innovation Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the US. She also served as the International Chair for Industry of the Future and Professor of Computer Science at IMT Atlantique in Brest, France (2021–2023), where she led major academic-industry collaborations addressing the challenges of Industry 4.0 and 5.0, including digital twins, human-robot interaction, XR technology, artificial intelligence, and system resilience.
She earned her Ph.D. in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2002 and has since built a globally recognized research program spanning engineering, healthcare, and human factors.
Professor Cao is the recipient of several prestigious distinctions, including the U.S. National Science Foundation CAREER Award, a Fulbright Scholar award, and the International Chair of RFI ATLANSTIC 2020 in France. She is an elected Fellow of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), the International Ergonomics Association (IEA), and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). She also serves as Associate Editor for the journal Human Factors and is currently President-Elect and a Science Policy Fellow of the HFES.
“I’m inspired by our talented, entrepreneurial students, staff, faculty, alumni and partners. Together we’ll tackle grand societal challenges through innovation and collaboration, leveraging our diverse, inclusive community to deliver lasting impact.”
– Caroline G. L. Cao
Vice-deans of the faculty
Ghasan Doudak
Vice-Dean, EDI and Governance
Andrew Sowinski
Vice-Dean, Programs
Karin Hinzer
Vice-Dean, Research
François Robitaille
Interim Vice-Dean, Student Affairs
Chairs and directors
Xudong Cao
Chair, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Mamadou Fall
Chair, Department of Civil Engineering
Natalie Baddour
Chair, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Hanan Anis
Director, School of Engineering Design and Teaching Innovation
Herna Viktor
Director, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Executive committee
Faculty council
The faculty council is made up of the members of the executive committee, professors and students from each department and school and is chaired by the dean.
Curriculum improvement advisory committees
Curriculum Improvement Advisory Committees have been established to look at programs at the Faculty of Engineering. Each committee ensures that the curriculum of the programs it’s responsible for is current and relevant to industry and society.
Committees are composed of alumni and others working in related engineering fields, current students, and the program director. Members comment yearly on data collected about their programs, contributing their expertise regarding industry trends and shifts in the skills and knowledge needed by graduates.
Related links
Policies and regulations of the Faculty of Engineering and the University of Ottawa.