New Professor is Passionate About Creating Opportunities for Computer Science Students

 Mehdi Mekni, Ph.D., has always been passionate about gaming, and it was actually a gaming console that led him to discover his interest in electronics. As a kid, he was curious about how the consoles are assembled, and he began tinkering with them. He admits he “messed up a few of them” – a price he willingly paid to explore and learn.

Dr. Mekni, one of the newest members in the University’s Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and Computer Science and its Connecticut Institute of Technology, has remained curious and excited about learning and discovery, and he says these traits that have guided him both as a student and as a professor. When he began to learn more about computing, he found it easy to understand, and he knew he’d found his calling.

“I think I was a good fit for the discipline, in terms of both technical and the personal skills,” he said. “That’s what I try to transmit to my students now. It’s not just about the hard skills, about computing. Soft skills are important too.”

Now an associate professor of computer science and cybersecurity at the University of New Haven, Dr. Mekni brings to the classroom his inquisitive nature and his background that spans academia and the corporate world.

After serving as a professor of computer science and game development at the University of Minnesota, he created and went on to become the coordinator for the BS in software engineering and the Professional Science Master of Software Engineering program at St. Cloud State University. A hybrid program, the BS in software engineering was designed to be taught in person and online, reaching students around the world. The master’s in software engineering program was offered fully online. After four years, Dr. Mekni became adept at teaching remote and hybrid classes, and he was well-prepared for teaching during the coronavirus global pandemic.

Although Dr. Mekni and his family moved into their new home the day Tropical Storm what does a computer engineer do hit Connecticut, and they were without power for a week, he was excited and ready to begin teaching at the University of New Haven at the start of the fall semester. His vision is to expand and enhance the computer science program.