The Best

Dr. Ala Qubbaj knows student success in college is directly related to the quality of instructors at an institution. That is why he has helped more than 100 new faculty members smoothly transition into the academic community at The University of Texas-Pan American.

As UTPA’s first provost fellow, Qubbaj oversees the New Faculty Support Program, an initiative started in 2007 by the Division of Academic Affairs to help ease and support new faculty members in their transition to the University and the Rio Grande Valley communities.

“I think recruitment and retention of quality faculty are some of the most important goals for our University. Our ability as an institution to move to the next level of excellence and achieve our vision of being a learner-centered research institution will rely basically on the faculty we have,” Qubbaj said. “It’s very important to build capacity by hiring and retaining talented and high quality faculty.”

Dr. Timothy Mottet, professor of communication, said the faculty support program gave him a sense of belonging to the University, as well as helped him understand UTPA’s mission through the workshops and peer mentoring.

“Having worked as a faculty member at Texas State University for 10 years and being interested in higher education leadership, Ala was instrumental in helping me understand the leadership culture at UTPA and immediately included me in leadership opportunities focusing on faculty development,” Mottet said. “I consider myself fortunate to have Ala as my mentor.”

As provost fellow Qubbaj assists the provost in policy analysis and development, faculty recruitment and development, and refinement of promotion and tenure processes. He has a lengthy career of service and filled the chair of the UTPA Faculty Senate for three years before his current appointment. He has led numerous committees and played a pivotal leadership role in the development of new policies and other initiatives, such as the Faculty Development Leave Policy.

Qubbaj said the success of the New Faculty Support Program has now led to the development of a New Chair Support Program which he will oversee this fall.

“Dr. Qubbaj’s work has had a significant impact on our University,” UTPA Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Paul Sale said. “Because of this program and his tireless pursuit of excellence, we are seeing an increase in faculty retention.”

It is that tireless pursuit of excellence and service that earned him UTPA’s first Faculty Excellence Award for Service for 2009.

“I feel honored, humbled and grateful for this selection,” Qubbaj said. “When it comes to service, it’s not about the single efforts of an individual, but rather a collective effort of dedicated individuals who care about the University – many of whom go without any credit or recognition. Any achievements or success I may have made is attributed to the many colleagues and friends, both faculty and administration, who never failed to answer the call of service and who were always there to provide their help and support.”

Qubbaj, who is known for wearing many hats on campus, is also an associate professor of mechanical engineering and actively involved in research.

“I really love and enjoy both my administrative and teaching roles,” said Qubbaj. “Both jobs eventually impact our students and their ability to succeed, either directly or indirectly. After all, it’s all about the students.

He is actively engaged in scholarly and research activities including external grant development and has published numerous articles and served as principal investigator on research projects sponsored by the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense. His current research seeks to develop efficient and environmentally superior composite fuels, known as “super fuels,” for transportation and propulsion purposes, by combining the merits of higher energy density propane and cleaner combustion of natural gas.

“This ‘super fuel’ is natural gas-based and is a promising solution to the current problem associated with storage, transportation and low volumetric density of natural gas,” Qubbaj said.

Glenda Esquivel, a graduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering who was mentored by Qubbaj, said he is devoted to the achievement of others.

“Dr. Qubbaj is a very amicable person who sees the good in all situations,” Esquivel said. “He is a great faculty member because he is so dedicated to the success not only of the students in his classes, but also of the school as a whole. He takes pride in the accomplishments of his students and school, but is also very humble when it comes to his own. He is always putting the needs of others before his own.”

Qubbaj joined UTPA in 1999 and received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Oklahoma. Despite his administrative duties, he still teaches at least one course a semester to stay in touch with the students he loves.

“The rewarding aspect of teaching students is that you get to know the students, work with them first hand, and make a direct and lasting difference in their lives,” Qubbaj said. For more information about the Department of Mechanical Engineering, call 956/381-2394. ###