Accomplished roboticist, entrepreneur, and educator,  Dean Ayanna Howard, is the first woman to lead the College of Engineering.  Her career spans higher education, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the private sector. Dr. Howard is the founder and president of the board of directors of Zyrobotics, a Georgia Tech spin-off company that develops mobile therapy and educational products for children with special needs. Zyrobotics products are based on Dr. Howard’s research. She is also a tenured professor in the college's Department of Electrical Computer Engineering with a joint appointment in Computer Science and Engineering. 

Dr. Howard earned her bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from Brown University, her master’s degree and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, and her MBA from Claremont Graduate University.