Rate My Professor Vassilios Tzouanas

Vassilios Tzouanas is Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering Technology at the University of Houston-Downtown. He holds a Diploma in Chemical Engineering from Aristotle University, an M.Sc. in Chemical Engineering/Process Control from the University of Alberta, and a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering/Process Control from Lehigh University. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Tzouanas worked for 19 years in industry in technical and management positions with major operating companies and process control technology development companies. He joined the University of Houston-Downtown in 2009, where he has progressed to his current leadership role in the Engineering faculty.

Dr. Tzouanas teaches courses in process control, modeling and simulation, process design and operation, applied thermodynamics, heat transfer, and numerical methods. His academic interests and research specializations include system modeling, systems dynamics, curriculum development, industrial automation, process automation, control and instrumentation, renewable energy systems, and engineering solutions for sustainability issues such as urban agriculture. He serves as Principal Investigator for the NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site in Computational Sciences and Engineering. Key publications include 'Board 106: A Student Experiential Learning Program: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Sustainability' (2024), 'Design of Adaptive PID Controllers Subject to Process Constraints' (2023), 'An SIR Recovery-Rate Control Model for Piecewise Constant Transmission Rates' (2023), 'Data Science and Traditional Engineering and Technology Programs—How to Improve Operational Excellence' (2021), 'Bioreactor Design, Automation, and Optimization - A Multidisciplinary Approach' (2020), and earlier contributions such as 'Expert Multivariable Control' series (1988-1990). Dr. Tzouanas is an ABET Program Evaluator for Engineering and Engineering Technology programs, a member of the Institutional Compliance Committee, and holds memberships in AIChE and ASEE.