Ranked #21 (out of 291) for Undergraduate Engineering Programs in schools without a doctoral degree (U.S. News and World Report)
Union Engineering
Ranked #3 for Best Science Lab Facilities based on student ratings (Princeton Review)
Union Engineering
Ranked #21 for Undergraduate Engineering Programs in schools without a doctoral degree (U.S. News and World Report)
Dean of Engineering
Ashok Ramasubramanian
Prior to his appointment as the Dean of Engineering, Ashok served for 16 years as a professor of Mechanical Engineering at Union College. Born in India, he earned his B.E. at Anna University before completing an M.S. in Electrical Engineering at the University of Massachusetts and a Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences at Dartmouth College in 2002. Before joining Union in 2007, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a former Fulbright Fellow (served in Sri Lanka) and a former AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow (served at the U.S. Department of State.)
His past research experience includes leading a prolific federally funded program focused on the biomechanics of the developing heart and brain using the chick embryo as an experimental model. He secured multiple federal grants, including major funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). He is also the recipient of a Ruth L. Kirschstein Postdoctoral Fellowship from the NIH. His scholarly work has been published in several high-impact journals.
Dean Ramasubramanian with the Union College Rocket Team
Recently, Dr. Ramasubramanian has expanded his professional focus to include civic leadership, a transition he reflected upon in his 2026 essay in Science magazine. In 2025, he was elected to the Town Council in his hometown (Niskayuna, NY). He serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Schenectady, where he founded a winter sports program that provides free ski lessons to local youth. An accomplished storyteller featured on NPR’s The Moth Radio Hour, he is also an avid skier and a year-round bicycle commuter.
Dr. Ramasubramanian is a dedicated advocate for teaching engineering within a liberal arts framework and promotes diversity in STEM through his mentorship of student clubs and competition teams. His priorities include improving connections to industry, local K-12 schools, and alumni.
Dr. Ramasubramanian may be contacted at DeanOfEngineering@union.edu or through Union Engineering's administrative assistant whose contact information is noted below. Prospective students are especially encouraged to get in touch.
