Dean’s Profile
Dr. Sheryl H. Ehrman has served as the Don Beall Dean of the Charles W. Davidson College
of Engineering at San José State University since 2017. As dean, she leads one of
California's largest engineering colleges, overseeing 26 academic programs, nearly
300 faculty and instructors, more than 6,500 students, and a growing research enterprise.
Under her leadership, the college has strengthened its reputation as Silicon Valley's
engineering school by expanding industry partnerships, increasing experiential learning
opportunities, enhancing student success initiatives, and advancing interdisciplinary
research and innovation. She has championed faculty excellence, launched new professional
development and career readiness programs, and fostered a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship,
and inclusive excellence. The college has also become a national leader in faculty
diversity, with one of the highest percentages of women engineering faculty in the
country.
Before joining San José State University, Dr. Ehrman served as Keystone Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Maryland and holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering with a specialization in Aerosol Science and Technology and a minor in Atmospheric Science from the University of California, Los Angeles. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
An internationally recognized researcher and higher education leader, Dr. Ehrman has held appointments as a visiting scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and as a National Science Foundation-sponsored postdoctoral fellow at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland. In 2006, she was named a Fulbright Scholar and Visiting Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, where she collaborated with faculty and students in the Department of Chemical Engineering. She later served as a Fulbright Alumni Ambassador, promoting international educational exchange and global collaboration.
Dr. Ehrman is a Fellow of both the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and the American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR), where she previously served as president. Her contributions to engineering education and leadership have earned numerous recognitions, including being named one of the Silicon Valley Business Journal's 100 Women of Influence in 2024 and receiving Tau Beta Pi's Eminent Engineer Award in 2025. She also serves on several nonprofit and research foundation boards, advancing innovation, engineering education, and community partnerships throughout Silicon Valley.
