Manoj Chopra, Ph.D. P.E.
Professor and Associate Dean for Engineering and Computer Science
NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative
University of Central Florida
Manoj Chopra is a professor of civil engineering and the Associate Dean for the college of Engineering and Computer Science at UCF. He is the NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) for UCF responsible for student-athlete eligibility, academic success, welfare and development. He joined UCF in 1993 and was appointed FAR by President Hitt in 2012.
He is a member of the BIG 12 Faculty Athletics Representatives group and has previously served on the NCAA Division1 Committee on Academics. He is also a founding member of the American Athletics Conference’s Consortium on Academics.
Chopra was born in Delhi, India, and moved to the US in 1986 to complete his graduate studies at the University of Buffalo. His research areas include the study of sinkholes, bridge foundations, soil erosion and sediment control, and geo-environmental engineering. He has conducted over $5 million of sponsored research and shared the 2001 Excellence in Environmental Engineering award by NASA for his patented work in innovative groundwater cleanup techniques. He has received several awards for his teaching including four Teaching Incentive Program (TIP) awards as well as the UCF Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the UCF Excellence in Faculty Advising. He is a registered professional engineer in the State of Florida and has received local media coverage for his professional assessments of sinkholes in Central Florida.
He has served on the Florida Board of Governors responsible for all 12 state universities as well as the UCF Board of Trustees as the Chair of UCF Faculty Senate. He serves on the board of directors for the UCF Stadium Corporation and the UCF Convocation Corporation which is responsible for the UCF basketball arena.
Chopra and his wife Elizabeth have two children, Alexander and Dylan, and reside in Chuluota.