Message from the Dean - April 2007
Dear Friends of Engineering,
Last September I arrived at the University of Washington to lead the College of Engineering. It's been an exciting time and I want to update you on the state of the College and our future plans.
As a biomedical engineer, I was drawn to the University of Washington’s strong interdisciplinary culture, one with all the critical elements needed for world-changing research and education: a top medical school, a strong arts and sciences program, a solid business school, and robust public policy and public health programs. Interdisciplinary and industry partnerships are essential in helping us tackle some of society’s greatest challenges.
I am very impressed with the quality of teaching, research, and outreach in the College. Research grants and contracts continue to increase, contradicting a national decrease in funding, and now comprise more than half of our total revenue. Research expenditures have risen steadily over the past seven years, increasing by more than 50 percent since 2001. This year’s expenditures are projected to be close to $100 million. In the last year our researchers contributed 50 percent of the innovations reported across the UW. Our research impacts both local communities and the world. In this issue you can learn more about current projects including:
- A brain-controlled robot to assist disabled or elderly people
- Video phones enabling deaf people to sign over cellular phone networks
- Photo software that creates a 3-D world, now licensed by Microsoft
- A quest to grow human heart muscle in the UW Engineered Biomaterials Center (UWEB)
These projects wouldn’t have been possible without support of our alumni, industry partners and friends. During the final twelve months of Campaign UW: Creating Futures, we will continue to raise gifts for student and faculty support. These funds will help grow new programs tackling some of our region’s most pressing issues in health, transportation, security, and sustainability.
Finally, I want to share our efforts to build a stronger sense of community among freshman and sophomore pre-engineering students. This is a top priority for us, and as a result we have established the Engineering House, a freshman and sophomore residence hall that extends the engineering community beyond the classroom. We are also offering new curricular options for freshmen including seminars that highlight the global and social impact of modern engineering. And we're working to create multiple points of admission to engineering programs including direct freshman admission, admission at the end of the first year, and entry as late as the end of the second year. This flexibility allows highly focused students to move into their program quickly while providing time for undecided students to explore options.
I hope you’ll take a moment to read Washington Engineer and learn more about the College. I am proud to lead this extraordinary team in their contributions to research and educating tomorrow’s leaders. Together, we are creating the future of engineering.
Sincerely,
Matt O’Donnell
Frank and Julie Jungers Dean of Engineering
