UW Engineering is excited to host a National Academy of Engineering Grand Challenges Summit on May 2–3. One of a series of regional summits nationwide, it focuses on two of this century's fourteen "grand challenges" identified by NAE — engineering better medicines and engineering the tools of scientific discovery. We will explore how these challenges will impact our lives in the 21st century and how engineers can best address them. We invite you to join hundreds of other engineers, scientists, innovators, policymakers, and students at this forum.
The NAE Summit is a great opportunity for the College of Engineering. It showcases our long-time strength in bioengineering, our emerging leadership in molecular engineering, and our innovation in advancing the tools of discovery through computer science and computational biology, nanotechnology, and "smart" materials and systems for diverse applications.
It also is a great opportunity for students to discover how these challenges will shape their careers. Day one of the summit features a design competition on the theme "Improving Human Wellbeing in the Developing World." The best projects will compete at the National Grand Challenges Summit in Los Angeles this October.
We have encouraged all students from across the Pacific Northwest to participate because their careers will focus on finding solutions to the 21st century's grand challenges in both developed and developing societies. How is the rise of e-science, reliant on mega databases and real-time analysis, changing how we do research and educate future engineers? Students must be prepared to collaborate on cross-disciplinary teams that are often geographically dispersed.
The summit also is a great opportunity for Puget Sound's biotechnology and IT industry sectors. Rich Newton, former dean of engineering at UC Berkeley, modified Thomas Friedman's flat world concept to incorporate industry and academic technology spires. Silicon Valley is the biggest spire in the U.S., but Puget Sound's spire is growing rapidly and should promote closer collaborations between industry, academia, and government to ensure our future as a world-class innovation center and regional economic engine.
The Trend story Engineering's Expanding World echoes the grand challenge themes. It highlights four exceptional young faculty members, all NSF CAREER Award winners, who are collaborating on research that bridges several disciplines. For example, Charlotte Lee, who joined the faculty just a year ago, has NSF funding to launch important research into how scientists and engineers working with huge databases and cyber infrastructure develop the tools, systems, and teamwork needed to collaborate effectively.
Construction of the new Molecular Engineering Building is progressing on schedule and under budget toward its January 1, 2012 opening.
This March 22 photo shows a worker checking the rebar atop the subgrade-level vapor barrier. The ground floor slab pour was completed March 24 and ceiling formwork began the next day.
Read about the plans for the building and see many more photos of the construction project in the construction slideshows.
Congratulations to Professor Dennis Lettenmaier, our newest inductee into NAE membership. Kudos also to the faculty and students who received prestigious national-level awards — further affirmation of the talent at UW Engineering.
Matthew O'Donnell
Frank and Julie Jungers Dean of Engineering