Dear Friends of Engineering,

I’m excited to open this issue with good news from the 2018 state legislative session: The College received $600,000 in capital funds for pre-design of a new multidisciplinary engineering building. And, the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering received $3 million to complete a goal of doubling the number of computer science degrees from 300 to 600 annually. This is a significant development that allows us to continue to pursue growth plans to meet student and industry demand. We appreciate the state’s partnership and investment.

Last year, we featured a story about a new Direct to College (DTC) freshman admission process. I’m pleased to share that DTC offers went out for the class of 2022 in March. We expect to have over 700 students in the inaugural cohort and are busy preparing for their integration into the engineering community. Prior to arriving on campus, students will be paired with an engineering adviser and peer mentor to help guide them through their first year. The first year program is designed to encourage exploration of engineering majors, build community and provide unique educational and leadership opportunities.

As student interest in STEM soars, so does attendance at Engineering Discovery Days, a two-day event held in April. This year we hosted over 10,000 elementary, middle and high school students on campus and introduced them to the exciting field of engineering. Discovery Days is a terrific experience for our state’s 4th through 8th students and is a valuable educational experience for our engineering students who are key to the event’s success. Our students design and host exhibits and activities that range from the ever popular “Walk on Water” to the sold-out “Glowing Pickle.”

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about the exciting work at UW Engineering and for reading Washington Engineer.

Michael B. Bragg
Frank & Julie Jungers Dean of Engineering