Staff Profile

Austin Cheney was appointed Dean of the Lumpkin College of Business and Technology at Eastern Illinois University (EIU) effective July 1, 2019.   

Dr. Cheney joined EIU as Chair of the School of Technology (SOT) in 2013.  Under his leadership, SoT developed new undergraduate programs in Computer and Information Technology, Construction Management, Digital Media, and Engineering Technology, as well as a new graduate programs in Talent Development, in addition to an interdisciplinary M.S. in Cybersecurity, jointly offered by the School of Business and School of Technology.
 
Prior to joining EIU, Dr. Cheney served as Dean of the School of Management and Engineering Technology at Alfred State College, where he oversaw six departments, and led budget, strategic and operational planning and assessment for the school.  He also served Middle Tennessee State University as Founding Director of the internationally recognized Concrete Industry Management (CIM) program, and annually spoke at numerous concrete industry events throughout the country in that role.  In addition, Dr. Cheney has lectured abroad at Tongji University in Shanghai, and led MTSU’s participation with concrete industry executives in the expansion of the CIM program to three new institutions: Arizona State University, New Jersey Institute of Technology, and California State University at Chico.  Dr. Cheney also spent five years as Coordinator of Mechanical Engineering Technologies at Rhodes State College, in Lima, Ohio, from 1993-1998, where he received the 1995 Distinguished Teaching Award.
 
Dr. Cheney earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Dayton, an MBA from Eastern Illinois University, and a Ph.D. in Management of Technology from Vanderbilt University.  He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Ohio, a Certified Manufacturing Engineer, and holds numerous concrete industry certifications. He is a past Chair of both Region 7 and Lima Chapter #97 of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, served on the Marketing/Promotion and Education Committees of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association, and was a member of the American Society of Engineering Education Engineering Technology Council Board of Directors.