Kansas State named a new dean for the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering on Feb. 11 after a national search to replace interim dean Bradley Kramer. The search began on July 6, 2025, after Matt O’Keefe, the college’s previous dean, stepped down after the 2024-25 academic year. 

According to K-State Today, Ashfaq Khokhar will replace Kramer effective Aug. 2, 2026. Khokhar has served as the Palmer department chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University since 2017. 

Jesse Perez Mendez, provost and executive vice president, explained why Khokhar was the best candidate for the position. 

“He [Khokhar] has nearly a decade of experience with a larger electrical and computer engineering department in the country,” Perez Mendez said. “His research had increased by about 50% during his tenure there [Iowa State] and has created a number of different graduate, undergraduate programs for students.” 

Despite Khokhar’s achievements, some of the deciding factors in appointing him to the position went beyond his resume, Perez Mendez said. 

“He [Khokhar] is a very engaging individual, highly emotionally intelligent and very approachable to everybody, we are really excited for him to join us this August … and he’s ready to hit the ground running,” Perez Mendez said. 

Khokhar received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology in Lahore, Pakistan, his master’s degree in computer engineering from Syracuse University and his doctorate in computer engineering from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, before beginning his career as a professor.