<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; "><div><b style="font-size: 16px;">Sent on Behalf of Dean Tedesco</b></div><span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION" style="font-size: 14px; "><div xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">-----------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></span><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION" style="font-size: 14px; "><div xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">Dear Cullen College Faculty and Staff:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></span><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION" style="font-size: 14px; "><div xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">It is with great pleasure that I introduce Dr. JR Rao as the Director of Online Programs and Extension Services at the
UH Cullen College of Engineering.</span></p></div></div></div></div></span><div><br></div><span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION" style="font-size: 14px; "><div xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; "><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">Dr. Rao has served as a faculty member at the Cullen College for more than 25 years. He joined the faculty in 1990 after
receiving his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Michigan. In addition to conducting research in the area of nonlinear optimization of engineering systems, Dr. Rao has taught extensively at both the graduate and undergraduate level at UH.
Dr. Rao currently serves as Associate Chair of mechanical engineering, and is a member of the Undergraduate Committee of the UH Faculty Senate. Most recently, he served as the Associate Director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies and Student Success
at the Cullen College.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></span><div style="font-size: 14px; "><br></div><span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION" style="font-size: 14px; "><div xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">Dr. Rao has considerable interest and experience in online education. He has developed and taught an online version
of the high enrollment freshman level course, MECE 1331. Over 1,250 students have taken this online course between 2010 and 2014. Currently, Dr. Rao is helping to implement a fully-online M.S. degree program in mechanical engineering. This new online program
will launch in the fall of 2016. </span></p></div></div></div></div></span><div><br></div><span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION" style="font-size: 14px; "><div xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; "><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">In his new position as Director of Online Programs and Extension Services, Dr. Rao will oversee the successful implementation
of a variety of new, online academic offerings from the Cullen College across all of the engineering departments. I look forward to seeing the enhanced growth and success of the college's online programs under the leadership of Dr. Rao, as well as the impact
these new online programs will have in the Houston community and beyond.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></span><div><br></div><span id="OLK_SRC_BODY_SECTION" style="font-size: 14px; "><div xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div class="WordSection1"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt;line-height:12.75pt"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">Thank you and all the best,</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:10.0pt;line-height:12.75pt"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; color: black; ">Joseph W. Tedesco, Ph. D., P.E.<br>
Elizabeth D. Rockwell Dean and Professor<br>
Cullen College of Engineering<br>
University of Houston<br><a href="mailto:jtedesco@uh.edu"><span style="color:purple">jtedesco@uh.edu</span></a><br>
(713) 743-4207</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><br></p></div></div></div></div></span><style><!--
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