College of Arts and Sciences Newsroom

Tam Nguyen, Brian Rigling to lead UD Science and Engineering Catalyst Center
By Dave Larsen
The University of Dayton appointed Tam Nguyen and Brian Rigling ’98 as co-directors of its new Science and Engineering Catalyst Center, which brings together scientists and engineers to address emerging concerns on regional, national and global levels through research and discovery.
The center is designed to foster interdisciplinary research, scholarship, curriculum development and entrepreneurial activities. It is jointly supported by leadership from UD’s College of Arts and Sciences and School of Engineering.
Nguyen is an associate professor in the UD Department of Computer Science who works at the intersection of artificial intelligence, computer vision, cybersecurity, deep learning, virtual reality and augmented reality. His funded research grants total more than $1.75 million. He was honored with the 2021 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Ravi PallerIa Memorial Award for Young Professionals for his technology-related contributions to artificial intelligence research.
Rigling is a professor of electrical and computer engineering and the Ohio Research Scholar for Sensor Exploitation and Fusion in the UD School of Engineering. From 2018 to 2022, he served as dean of Wright State University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science. He has received more than $63 million in collaborative research funding. His scholarly contributions have been recognized with the 2015 IEEE Fred Nathanson Memorial Radar Award and by elevation to IEEE Fellow in 2018.
Their three-year appointments start Jan. 1, with the option for a one-time reappointment for a maximum six-year term.
“Brian and Tam both have strong interdisciplinary connections, strong grant records and successful entrepreneurial connections with local industry,” said Danielle Poe, College of Arts and Sciences dean. “They also have strong connections across the College and have partnered with their colleagues in the arts, humanities, natural and social sciences for curriculum and research efforts. These connections are the perfect starting point for amplifying our integrated science and engineering work at UD."
Nguyen and Rigling will oversee the development of graduate and undergraduate courses and workshops that cross boundaries between the natural sciences and engineering. They also will support interdisciplinary faculty research, as well as research experiences and professional development opportunities for students.
In addition, they will enhance entrepreneurship and innovation at UD to support economic development, working with campus and community partners on projects that lead to new products, patents and commercial ventures.
“Many faculty in the College and School already collaborate on their research efforts,” said Gül Kremer, School of Engineering dean. “I’m excited to see how the Science and Engineering Catalyst Center will further grow this collaboration. A wonderful surprise is that the College’s co-lead has an engineering background and the School’s co-lead has a science background. I have no doubt they will reach the broader STEM community, internally and externally, very effectively.”
Rigling, who holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and computer science from UD, is uniquely positioned to serve as the center’s co-director, being an alumnus of the College and faculty in the School of Engineering. He is a strong believer in the “indivisibility of the sciences and engineering,” and the accessibility of opportunities for symbiotic growth.
“My own experience as a UD student was greatly impacted by opportunities for undergraduate research in the Department of Physics, as a SOCHE (Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education) intern at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and through a cooperative education position at a local small business,” Rigling said. “These opportunities allowed me to explore my interests in the sciences and engineering, and ultimately determined my direction in graduate school and subsequent career as an engineer and faculty member.”
Rigling also holds master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from Ohio State University. Before joining Wright State’s faculty in 2004, he worked for four years as a senior systems engineer at Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems.
Since joining UD’s faculty in 2016, Nguyen has developed and taught interdisciplinary courses that bridge artificial intelligence, computer science and engineering, “enriching the learning experience for students from diverse academic backgrounds,” he said.
Nguyen also has experience with technology transfer and intellectual property, having worked on programs such as Lean LaunchPad, an entrepreneurship methodology, and the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps, which translates research into practical applications, including partnerships with industry.
“My entrepreneurial achievements include guiding innovations from ideation to commercialization, contributing to both academic and economic development through applied research,” Nguyen said. “I plan to create pathways for students and faculty to commercialize their innovations through technology transfer and entrepreneurship initiatives.”
Nguyen holds a doctoral degree in computer engineering from the National University of Singapore, which ranks 8th in the 2025 QS World University Rankings; a master’s in computer engineering from Chonnam National University in South Korea; and a bachelor’s in computer science from the University of Science in Vietnam. Before joining UD’s faculty, he worked for three years as a research scientist at the Singapore Polytechnic Applied Research and Technology for Infocomm Centre, with a joint appointment as lecturer at the National University of Singapore.