Tom “Mach” Schnell has taken the helm as director of the Iowa Technology Institute, effective April 15, succeeding Karim Abdel-Malek, who had led the research institute for 20 years.
Schnell, an expert in avionics and operator cognition, joined the College of Engineering in 1998 and is a faculty affiliate of ITI. Schnell’s vision is to deepen the connection between ITI faculty and industry as well as leverage interdisciplinary research to attract large-scale grants.
“It is my great honor to lead ITI into its next phase, building upon the foundation laid by Dr. Abdel-Malek and previous directors,” said Schnell, who holds numerous roles including Capt. Jim “Max” Gross Chair of Engineering, director of the Operator Performance Laboratory and professor of industrial and systems engineering.
“It is with great confidence that I pass the torch to Dr. Schnell,” said Abdel-Makek who stayed on in an interim capacity after officially stepping down as director in 2024. “I am proud of our accomplishments in advancing engineering research with a focus on public benefit and application. I am eager to watch ITI continue to grow to evolve to meet our world’s challenges.”
Schnell is an accomplished researcher, serving as principal investigator on more than 424 projects totaling over $38 million and as co-investigator on projects totaling an additional $32 million. He has authored or co-authored more than 145 technical papers, and he is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots (SETP), the American Helicopter Society, the Aerospace States Association (ASA), the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the Transportation Research Board (TRB), the International Illumination Committee (CIE), and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
Abdel-Malek, a world-renowned scholar of robotics and human modeling, became director in 2005 and led an expansion of faculty, labs, and funding with a focus on applied engineering research and technology transfer for public benefit and use. This included officially renaming what formerly was named the Center for Computer-Aided Design (CCAD) to ITI to reflect its broader scope.
Abdel-Malek conducted research as director of the Virtual Soldier Research Lab, securing $60 million in funding over many years. He achieved three U.S. patents, five books, nine book chapters, 146 journal papers, 120 conference papers, and a variety of awards and accolades.