Kettering University is pleased to announce that its president, Dr. Robert K McMahan, has been elected the 2024 Chair of the Association of Independent Technological Universities. 

Established in 1957, the AITU (www.theaitu.com) is an organization of leading private American technological universities and colleges, whose mission is to play a vital role in securing the future of American competitiveness in the global marketplace by, among other initiatives, fostering and advancing excellence in engineering, science and professional education from K-12 onward. 

Expanding on the mission of the AITU, McMahan, who has over the past decade led Kettering to a renaissance rooted in its historically unique Cooperative education model, emphasizes that “of critical importance is the role that America’s technical and polytechnical institutions play in the advancement of innovation and competitiveness. 

“AITU member institutions stand at the forefront of our nation’s efforts to create the new, cutting-edge technologies that will power our future as well as to create the talent that industry critically needs. It is truly an honor to be a part of such a distinguished group of institutions, and to collaborate with their leadership through the AITU.” 

In its January 2024 Annual Meeting, enrollment and AI were among the most significant topics of conversation.  “As AI plays an increasingly critical role in global industry,” said McMahan, “AITU member institutions are naturally positioned to lead in the development of best practices for its use in academic institutions and in incorporating these technologies into teaching and learning, ensuring academic integrity in a world of ubiquitous AI.”

McMahan has been president of Kettering University since 2011, and was one of four highly successful college presidents featured in Governance Reconsidered: How Boards, Presidents, Administrators, and Faculty Can Help Their Colleges Thrive, by leadership expert Dr. Susan Pierce.  He has extensive national and international speaking, consulting, and management experience in organizations and initiatives related to technology and product development, research policy, investment capital, entrepreneurship, and innovation-based economic development. He has spoken and consulted with national and international organizations interested in innovation policy, investment capital, technology based economic development, university research, and the university’s role in economic development at the invitation of organizations including the National Academies, the US Congress, and the Federal Reserve as well as several international governments.