Message from the Dean - July 2007
Dear Friends of Engineering,
In June, more than 1,100 students graduated with a UW engineering degree. They remind us of our primary purpose as educators. We don’t just train students to find good jobs. We incubate innovators and leaders who generate ideas and fuel economic growth. Some will take the entrepreneurial route by setting up new companies and creating high-level technical and management jobs; others will do the same within established firms. They will be the engines in engineering.
As we prepare to welcome a new class of students this fall, we note the recently published findings of the Academic Pathways Study about critical issues in engineering education. The study is the major project of the NSF-funded Center for Advancement of Engineering Education, which includes the UW in partnership with Stanford University, Howard University, the University of Minnesota and the Colorado School of Mines.
Nationwide, engineering schools face declining enrollment in undergraduate programs and struggle to retain the students who do enroll. National figures show that some 40 percent of freshmen leave engineering programs by their senior year. The Academic Pathways Study, which looked at engineering education from the students' point of view, reveals that the typical first- or second-year student knows little about what it means to be an engineer. Core courses don't convey the excitement, so when the going gets tough, students drop out.
At UW Engineering we want to engage students earlier and excite them about engineering. Our strong research community offers opportunities for undergraduates to apply their classroom learning to real-world problems. With our corporate partners, we offer internship experiences giving students a glimpse into their futures. Freshmen and sophomores can take Engineering 100, an introduction to engineering design. Or they can live in Engineering House, a residence hall that extends the community beyond the classroom and offers strong support programs and peer group experiences. We also are creating multiple admission points to engineering programs, including direct admission for freshmen, and admission at the end of the first year or at the end of the second year.
We will continue to design programs demonstrating how exciting an engineering career can be. Nothing shows this better than the work of our faculty. In this issue of Washington Engineer you can learn more about their current projects, including:
- Underwater turbines that could generate electricity using Puget Sound’s tides
- A mobile surgical robot tested for operating in a space shuttle
- Computer science's campaign to attract female students by highlighting applied research
These projects aren’t possible without support from our alumni, industry partners and friends. In the final 11 months of Campaign UW: Creating Futures, we need to exceed our goals for student and faculty support. New gifts will help grow new programs tackling some of our region’s most pressing issues in health, transportation, security and sustainability.
Thank you for taking time to learn more about the College with the latest Washington Engineer.
Sincerely,
Matt O’Donnell
Frank and Julie Jungers Dean of Engineering
