Howard began his teaching at Mississippi State in 2006 as an assistant professor. A few years later, he was promoted to associate professor and became a full professor and endowed chair. Howard served as interim director for the Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering since 2021.
Howard said he is excited for the responsibilities that lie ahead as director of the school but also acknowledges the exceptional work that came before him.
“I'm thankful so many people believe in us. I'm also thankful that the people that came before us did such a great job. I'm humbled by the reality that we need to be the next group in line, not the last group in line. It's a gift for people to have put this school in such a fortunate position, but it's also a responsibility.”
Howard, whose primary areas of research are construction, materials and pavements, is prepared for the future of the Rula School of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
“The future is bright because we've got many supporters that want to work with us, and if we all work together, there's a lot of cool opportunities for the school’s students, faculty and staff,” Howard said. “And we're going to work together to continue the maroon and white's civil engineering tradition.”