Dr. John O. Attia
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents has officially conferred the title of Professor Emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering upon Dr. John O. Attia, effective February 6, 2025. This prestigious recognition honors a remarkable 39-year career at PVAMU marked by pioneering leadership, scholarly excellence, and an enduring impact on generations of students and faculty.
Dr. Attia began his tenure at PVAMU in 1984 as an Assistant Professor. Over the decades, he rose through the ranks to Full Professor and eventually retired in 2023 with the distinguished title of Texas Instruments Endowed Professor. His contributions spanned every dimension of academia: program innovation, research development, accreditation leadership, and student mentorship.
Among his most significant achievements, Dr. Attia was the driving force behind the establishment of three cornerstone degree programs in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: B.S. in Computer Engineering (2003), M.S. in Electrical Engineering (2002), and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (2003) — PVAMU’s first doctoral engineering program.
As Department Head from 1997 to 2013, he oversaw the growth of these programs and played a central role in planning and developing the state-of-the-art Electrical Engineering building, which opened in 2005. He also served as Interim Associate Dean and led the Smart Grid Center as Interim Director for seven years.
Dr. Attia’s research leadership is equally distinguished. He secured over $12 million in external funding from prestigious entities, including the NSF, NASA, and Apple. His efforts established the Center for Advancing Innovations in Smart Grid Microgrid, which received $6.4 million in funding, and led to the acquisition of a $1.2 million Apple Innovation Grant, preparing students in VLSI and computer hardware design.
A nationally recognized leader in accreditation, Dr. Attia served the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET for over two decades. He became a Commissioner in 2015 and served on the Executive Committee from 2020 to 2023 -- bringing both credibility and national visibility to PVAMU.
Dr. Attia’s scholarly output includes over 100 peer-reviewed publications, eight books, and extensive mentorship of M.S. and Ph.D. students. Throughout his career, he positively influenced more than 3,000 students, shaping future engineers through both classroom instruction and personal mentorship.
Dr. John O. Attia's enduring legacy reflects a deep commitment to innovation, excellence, and service. His contributions have shaped PVAMU’s academic reputation and research capacity for decades to come. The Office of Faculty Affairs is proud to honor his career and celebrate this well-deserved milestone.