Research

The research and development activities of our faculty provided most of the intellectual capital that fueled the academic machine in engineering over the past fifty years. This is not likely to change in the near future, but the nature and the funding sources will. The following strategic initiatives will help bridge the transition.

• Even if the College of Engineering doubles the number of faculty to approximately 100 by the year 2010, we will have to coordinate our research efforts in the form of teams and abandon the lone ranger operating model for faculty. To this end I suggest that 6-9 multi-disciplinary institutes or centers be established to focus our efforts. To date we have:
  • Energy Engineering Research Institute;
  • Transportation Safety Institute;
  • Facility for Advanced Manufacturing Enterprise; and
  • Communication Systems and Signal Processing Institute.
  • Concrete Materials Research Institute.
• Integration of our Research and Graduate Program, are essential in order to provide a consistent financial base for the recruitment of highly qualified Graduate Students.
• By a combination of contact hours per course FTE, and , etc. semester load modules, the College should establish an ongoing continuing or life long educational program in engineering, and adopt the flexible module structure to make this endeavor part of the regular faculty teaching load (and earn FTE for it).
• Teaching assistantships should be established to further enhance the salary pool for the recruitment of graduate students.