Last month, I arrived at the University of Washington as the new dean of the College of Engineering. I am honored to assume this role at such an outstanding institution. The best measure of a college is the quality of the faculty and staff, and the students it graduates and attracts. By this measure, all that I have observed about UW Engineering is that it is indeed an exceptional place with a very bright future.
The last five years have brought major challenges to the college and public higher education across the country. For engineers, of course, challenges also mean opportunities to innovate and I am impressed by the entrepreneurial spirit here. The college is poised to serve more students and to meet the needs of our community by graduating more engineers and continuing to spin out important discoveries that impact our lives.
As you’ll read in this issue, our cutting-edge research continues to influence and inform local leaders and communities around the world. Our computer scientists have shown that with Wi-Fi signals it’s possible to control our household appliances with simple gestures and our civil engineers have found that using a grocery delivery service leaves a greener footprint than driving to the store.
As the product of great public research universities much like the University of Washington, I am deeply committed to building on the strengths of this wonderful institution that transforms lives and plays a vital role in the success of our state and nation. A new initiative that we’re excited to launch this fall is the Washington State Academic Redshirt program, or STARS. STARS will help lower-income students succeed in engineering by providing them with an extra year of preparation in math, science and the humanities. We are committed to expanding access to an engineering education and this program is an important step in that direction.
I couldn’t be more pleased to join this extraordinary team and help guide UW Engineering as we forge ahead in research and educating tomorrow’s leaders. Thanks for reading Washington Engineer.
Michael B. Bragg
Frank & Julie Jungers Dean of Engineering