Lola Eniola-Adefeso, Dean of Engineering
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Welcome to the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Engineering – a hub of innovative education, pioneering research, and vibrant programming designed to contribute to a better world.
At UIC, we are driven by a quest to advance knowledge and promote access, opportunity, and social mobility. We understand the transformational power of higher education for individuals and communities and hold the belief that diversity drives excellence and creativity. As a result, the College welcomes and benefits from students, faculty, and staff who contribute a wide array of experiences and perspectives, and we cultivate a learning environment that leverages our diversity to spur innovation and discovery by inviting, supporting, and valuing full participation. It was in such an environment early in my college years that I was introduced to engineering, and I believe it is through this approach that we can prepare the most capable engineers — empowered to collaborate across disciplines and develop engineering solutions to address the world’s most pressing problems.
No matter who you are or where you come from, UIC Engineering is a place you can call home.
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At the core of the College’s exceptional education is our nationally renowned faculty – who spearhead new discoveries through research in critical areas ranging from improving individual and community health to advancing renewable energy and environmental resilience. With nearly 300 active grants totaling more than $190 million, the College of Engineering is a powerhouse of discovery.
Contributing to a better world starts right here, with strong commitments to our city, state, and region. Through public and private sector partnerships, we are translating discovery to drive economic, social, and cultural change. And through internships to employment, our students and alumni are making a difference in industry, academia, public policy, and beyond.
With this and so much more happening in our East Campus classrooms and labs, the UIC College of Engineering is truly the place to be. We invite you to join us!
About our dean Heading link
Lola Eniola-Adefeso is the 10th dean of the University of Illinois Chicago College of Engineering. A highly respected chemical and biomedical engineer with over 25 years of professional experience, she is dedicated to enhancing the College’s excellence and impact by building on its legacy of renowned research to address societal challenges and attracting and supporting diverse undergraduate and graduate students prepare for 21st century challenges.
An accomplished scholar with a track record of interdisciplinary work, Eniola-Adefeso has published more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and secured millions of dollars in federal research funding. She has had entrepreneurial successes that have resulted in three patent filings – including one patent currently being licensed to a biotech company.
She is highly recognized in the scientific community and has earned numerous honors and awards. Among her national leadership roles are serving as president of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and as director of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. She also participates on the National Academies Study Committee: Quadrennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative.
At UIC, we are driven by a quest to advance knowledge and promote access, opportunity, and social mobility.
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Throughout her career, Eniola-Adefeso has championed efforts to bring greater diversity to the field of engineering. She led the multi-institutional NextProf engineering program, which aims to increase the number of PhD students and postdocs from traditionally underrepresented groups in engineering who are transitioning into academic careers. She also co-founded BME Women Faculty UNITE and helped plan and lead Forging Futures Together by Strengthening Collaborations, an inaugural summit of engineering deans from Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Big 10+ engineering institutions held in June 2024.
Prior to joining the UIC community, Eniola-Adefeso served as a professor of chemical engineering, biomedical engineering and macromolecular science and engineering at the University of Michigan, where she held the Vennema Endowed Professorship and was named a University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor. A Meyerhoff Scholar at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, she received her PhD in chemical and biomolecular engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
