Twelve faculty members spanning seven academic departments attended the orientation.
The new department offers two four-year undergraduate degrees in lean systems engineering technology and computer engineering technology.
Previously, Akafuah served as a lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and associate director of IR4TD. He succeeds Kozo Saito, who served as director of IR4TD since 2007.
The fund will provide annual scholarships for undergraduate students from UK, University of Louisville or Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC).
Engineers from Toyota and students from the UK College of Engineering have created a unique way to transport medically fragile newborns from the NICU to their car.