Loui, Michael C. (1955-) | University of Illinois Archives

Michael C. Loui (1955- ) is professor emeritus of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is recognized for his research on computational complexity, engineering ethics, and engineering pedagogy. Professor Loui was a distinguished pedagogue and mentor, including in the University Campus Honors program. He developed innovative courses on ethics in science and engineering, and courses on the intersection of society and technology. Among the many awards and recognition he received, Professor Loui was named a Carnegie Scholar by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2003 and was elected as a fellow to the American Society for Engineering Education in 2018. In addition to serving as editor of leading academic journals, Professor Loui served as the director of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Theory of Computing Program from 1990-1991 and as Associate Dean of the Graduate College at the University of Illinois from 1996-2000. After retiring from the University of Illinois in 2014, Professor Loui became the Dale and Suzi Gallagher Professor of Engineering Education at Purdue University.

Michael Conrad Loui was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. In 1975, he graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. from Yale University and graduated with a Ph.D. from M.I.T. in Computer Science in 1980.

After one year as a research associate at M.I.T., he became visiting assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1981. Professor Loui became assistant professor of electrical engineering in 1982, associate professor in 1986, and full professor in 1991. Professor Loui also served as affiliate professor of educational organization and leadership from 2007-2011 and of education policy, organization and leadership from 2011-2014. He published widely in academic journals of computing and electrical engineering, engineering pedagogy, and professional ethics. His research in the fields of computational complexity and engineering ethics was recognized with numerous awards, including the Dow Outstanding Young Faculty Award in 1985 and the 2012 Ethics for a Globalized World (EGW12) Award.