Georgia Tech School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Regents Professor John Cressler has been appointed associate chair for faculty development, effective January 1, 2027. 

As associate chair for faculty development, Cressler will lead the School’s reappointment, promotion, tenure, and post-tenure processes, help facilitate faculty mentoring, and collaborate with the director of faculty evaluation and recognition. He will succeed Professor Pamela Bhatti in the role.  

“I am honored to have the opportunity to work with and support the more than 100 talented faculty members across ECE,” Cressler said. “Our faculty represent an incredible depth and breadth of expertise, from rising leaders to distinguished scholars at the forefront of their fields. This is an important time for emerging technology, and I look forward to supporting our faculty as they grow professionally, pursue new opportunities, and continue conducting cutting-edge research.” 

Cressler, who joined ECE in 2002 after 8.5 years at IBM Research and 10 years at Auburn University, currently holds the Schlumberger Chair in Electronics. 

His research focuses on understanding, developing, and applying new types of silicon-based bandgap-engineered microelectronic devices and circuits using the silicon-germanium (SiGe) material system for high-speed electronics and photonics in emerging communications and sensing systems, with applications ranging from space exploration to quantum systems. His lab has become a global leader in the field, publishing more than 1,000 technical papers. He has also written four books on the subject. 

Cressler first came to Georgia Tech as a student, graduating with a B.S. in physics in 1984. He then joined the research staff at the IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, where he began working on the high-speed silicon and SiGe microelectronic devices and technology that continue to drive his research today. During that time, he pursued his graduate studies at Columbia University, receiving his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in applied physics in 1987 and 1990, respectively. 

Mentorship has been a defining part of Cressler’s career. He received ECE’s D. Scott Wills Mentoring Award in 2026 in recognition of more than 34 years of mentorship, including 87 Ph.D. students, 66 master’s students, 72 undergraduates, and 15 postdoctoral researchers. His approach emphasizes technical training alongside professional development, ethics, and personal well-being.

He is the recipient of the 2021 IEEE James H. Mulligan Education Medal and the Georgia Tech Class of 1934 Distinguished Professor Award, and is a longtime mentor to junior faculty, frequently advising on CAREER proposals, research direction, and long-term career sustainability.

Cressler’s interests and mentorship extends beyond the lab and classroom. He coordinates an off-campus silent retreat program for all Georgia Tech undergraduate and graduate students focused on well-being, reflection, and personal growth, and he has introduced two courses open to all Georgia Tech undergraduates, one of which is offered under the College of Liberal Arts. 

He is also an accomplished historical fiction author, whose four-volume Anthems of al-Andalus series explores interfaith relationships against the backdrop of medieval Islamic Spain. His latest work (releasing December 2026) is a general audience narrative non-fiction exploring science and spirituality.