Research and Economic Development and 1890 Land-Grant Programs announce staff changes

Rahman joins Central State as associate research director

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The Research and Economic Development and 1890 Land Grant Programs are excited to welcome Shafiqur "Shafi" Rahman, Ph.D., as the associate research director for the Agricultural Research and Development Program at Central State University. 

Rahman brings a unique combination of academic, research, extension, and federal administrative experience to advance Central State's vision of becoming a premier Land-Grant Institution. He has served as a division director of Agricultural Systems at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, published over 70 peer-reviewed articles, and secured over $1.3 million in external funding for previous projects. 

Rahman has served on multiple United States Department of Agriculture and National Science Foundation review panels. He started his academic career as a tenure-track faculty member at North Dakota State University and became a full professor in 2020. He serves as an evaluator for the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the editor of the Plant, Animal, and Facility Systems community of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). 

Rahman is extensively involved with the professional society of the ASABE and is an alumnus of LEAD21, a national leadership program for the Land-Grant system. He also served as a USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force member in 2016-18.

Rahman brings vast experience mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, including doctoral-level students. This experience will be valuable as CSU strives to attain an R2 designation from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Rahman has also served as an assistant professor for Land-Grant Extension for over six years. This experience will help advance CSU's intention to integrate research and extension further.

Rahman earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering from Bangladesh Agricultural University, a Master of Engineering from the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, and a Ph.D. in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Manitoba, Canada. He is the father of two sons with his wife of 26 years, Nurun Nahar, Ph.D.

Ndao promoted to serve as Student Success and Experiential Learning director

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Gorgui Ndao has been promoted and will serve as Student Success and Experiential Learning (DSEL) director. As the new director, Ndao is responsible for managing Land-Grant funding earmarked for student success and student experiential learning programs. This includes coordinating scholarship programs, monitoring student performance, and implementing strategies that promote success. 

The SSEL will also:

• Supervise experiential learning opportunities to place students on internships and other opportunities.
• Provide academic support programs, including co-curricular activities for scholarship recipients. 
• Assist in CSU 1890 Land-Grant Program activities that involve undergraduate research assistants.

Ndao transitioned from his previous position as program manager, Undergraduate Research and Student Engagement, on Dec. 1, a position he has served since 2016. He has served Central State for nearly 30 years. He has held several positions including, but not necessarily limited to, program manager at the Center of Excellence in STEM and STEM Education; manager at the Center for Student Opportunities; program director at Summer Transportation Institute; and coordinator for the Central State University Water Resources Development Program in Senegal, West Africa. 

Ndao earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Central State University and a Master of Business Law from the University of Dakar, Senegal, College of Laws and Economics.