Richard Koubek – 2014 People to Watch

Occupation: Dean, LSU College of Engineering
Hometown: Berwyn, Ill.
Age: 54

With IBM moving into the Capital City, Richard Koubek, Dean of LSU’s College of Engineering, is preparing his students to keep up. The number of incoming freshman majoring in computer science has risen 60% under Koubek’s guidance in the past year, thanks to partnerships with high schools, a $100 million computer facilities remodel and Koubek’s gung-ho attitude. Can he cultivate the pipeline of talent to feed IBM and other tech industries interested in Baton Rouge?

An industry veteran with credentials from Purdue to Penn State, Koubek calls Baton Rouge’s tech outlook “simply unprecedented” with a smile. “With the tremendous growth in the College of Engineering and the role it’s playing to help make the lives of Louisiana citizens better, it’s an absolute privilege to be able to participate.”

The College of Engineering now accounts for more than a fifth of LSU’s declared majors, Koubek notes, and it should reach its one-year goal of $50 million in donations for its building campaign in the first quarter of this year.

“Invest in yourself.”

Read more about Koubek and his department at eng.lsu.edu.