Dean's Newsletter September 2017
MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN
As we prepare to celebrate U of I Homecoming Oct. 1-7, a week-long celebration focused on the traditions of the university and passion of our alumni, I think it is important to consider both the exciting work we have underway in the college that supports and adds to our traditions and also highlights the impact our engineering alums have across the state, region, and nation.
In my last message I mentioned how the College of Engineering is committed to the goal of providing a transformative educational experience to all of our students. One of our key accomplishments in this area over the past year is the establishment of a 4-year computer science program in Coeur d’Alene. This future destination program, which we have hired faculty and staff to support, is a partnership between the college, North Idaho College and the U of I Coeur d’Alene Center. We are actively planning to design the program in collaboration with regional businesses to address industry needs through a cooperative (co-op) educational model, giving students the opportunity to earn academic credit while working on the job with local tech partners and in turn create a pipeline of talent for Northern Idaho and the region. I am happy to announce that we are holding a ribbon cutting for Computer Science in Coeur d’Alene Oct. 24. I am confident that as we grow our computer science program in Coeur d’Alene it will become an engine that transforms lives and the region’s economy.
This semester we are also busy carrying on established traditions that reach out to prospective students and celebrate the accomplishments of our current students. On Oct. 20 we will are hosting the 17th annual Women in Engineering Day. 100 young women that are junior and seniors in high school from across Idaho and Washington will come to Moscow to participate in a day-long workshop where they will learn about engineering education and career options and also receive a hands-on design experience, sponsored by our U of I Chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) students. In addition, this April will mark the 25thanniversary of our Engineering Design EXPO. We are very proud of our EXPO tradition and the nationally recognized senior design capstone program which is at the heart of the event. I will be talking more about EXPO’s silver anniversary in the coming months so stay tuned.
Finally, on Oct. 26 we will induct the 2017 Class of our Academy of Engineers. Academy members as you may know are eminent engineers who are deeply connected to Idaho’s strong legacy of global engineering impact. As a group of individuals Academy members already stand out for their achievement and leadership, this year’s Academy class, is no exception. This will also be the second year that we are coupling our Academy induction ceremony with our Grand Challenge Scholars Pitch. The event is an opportunity for students in our emerging Grand Challenge Scholars Program to present innovative ideas to our Academy members with the hope of securing financial support.
If you are returning to Moscow for Homecoming come by the college you will be impressed by the level of activity – it is inspiring and energizing.
Larry A. Stauffer
Dean, College of Engineering
