From the Dean: January 2021
Dear Purdue Engineering Students, Faculty and Staff,
Happy New Year!
Thank you to all who have provided observations and suggestions to me since December 16. Listening to you, reading your emails, and walking around engineering buildings with safety precautions have been very helpful. Summaries from the 13 Heads of schools, departments and divisions have provided substantial insight.
Currently, Executive Associate Dean Arvind Raman along with Associate Dean Alina Alexeenko and Associate Dean Dana Weinstein are drafting a set of best-practice suggestions to minimize unnecessary workload, aiming at returning a few hours each week to the realm of flexibility for everyone. They also are updating the resources and communications for mental health and for effective and efficient online learning-teaching, ahead of the start of the new semester. Longer term, what we have been learning about curricular and co-curricular programs during the pandemic will influence how we think about and operate these programs going forward.
The Gateway Complex, including Dudley Hall and Lambertus Hall, will be the first academic buildings with a design fully informed by the new range of possibilities and demand. Along with the new ABE Building, the BME Innovation Wing, and other recently completed construction and renovation, we are well on our way to the midpoint of the 10-year Engineering Facilities Plan previously unveiled by Senior Associate Dean Robert Frosch. At the same time, Zucrow Aerospace District continues to grow, contributing to a robust post-pandemic tech economy for our neighbors and creating knowledge and jobs together.
We understand that discovery of knowledge has faced unique challenges last year – from safe operation of experimental facilities to stable funding and talent pipelines. Associate Dean Wayne Chen is working with research centers and labs and the five Purdue Engineering Initiatives to help provide the best environment as our professors, research staff and graduate students drive fundamental research and translational innovation. Such pursuit of the Pinnacle of Excellence at Scale has directly benefited a society in a public health crisis and is continuing to do so: https://engineering.purdue.edu/Engr/rising-to-the-challenge
Thank you all!
Mung
Mung Chiang
John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering
Purdue University