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Florida Polytechnic University President Awarded Prestigious IEEE Fellowship

January 15, 2015

LAKELAND, Fla. – Florida Polytechnic University President Dr. Randy K. Avent has been named a 2015 Fellow by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity.

The IEEE Grade of Fellow is granted by the Board of Directors to individuals with an extraordinary record of accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest. Dr. Avent is recognized in the category of Technical Leaders for his impressive work in automatic target recognition technology.

“It’s an honor to be nominated as a Fellow by an organization as esteemed as the IEEE,” said Dr. Avent. “I look forward to working alongside other notable Fellows who are contributing to pioneering technology and improving global conditions – some of the very things we are focused on at Florida Polytechnic University.”

Prior to joining Florida Poly, Dr. Avent served as the Associate Vice Chancellor of Research and a Professor of Computer Science at North Carolina State University. He also served as the Chief Scientist in the Defense Department’s Office of Basic Research where he oversaw science programs and developed strategic plans for basic research investments. From 1986 to 2006, he held several positions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Laboratory where he was the Associate Chief Technology Officer and conducted research in diverse technology areas. Over the years, the majority of Dr. Avent’s work has centered on machine learning, signal processing and dynamic probabilistic systems analysis.

“Dr. Avent has made significant contributions in science and engineering. He is an innovative leader with great accomplishments,” said Florida Poly’s Executive Vice President and Provost Dr. Ghazi Darkazalli, who is an American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Fellow. “This is a well-deserved honor and one that we’re all very proud of here at Florida Poly.”

For more information on IEEE visit www.ieee.org.

Session Details

This session will demonstrate that practical risk management is for everyone, regardless of a formal program. Attendees will learn actionable and simple strategies that are easy to implement, enabling them to start immediately by focusing on their top risks to build greater operational resilience and ensure the sustained success of their auxiliary enterprises.

Presenter Profile

Michelle Powell serves as the pioneering Risk Manager at Florida Polytechnic University, the state’s sole 100% STEM-dedicated institution. Having been with the university for nearly 11 years, Michelle transitioned from a leadership role in Admissions in October 2023 to establish and evolve the risk management function from the ground up. In this solo capacity, Michelle builds robust frameworks for our dynamic, young university, overseeing our insurance portfolio, consulting on third-party and event risks, and developing critical campus-wide training programs. Michelle has obtained the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) Enterprise Risk Management certificate and the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) and Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designations. Her distinct background in mathematics and engineering, combined with extensive higher education leadership, brings an analytical and strategic approach enhancing the institution’s resilience.