Changes and Challenges

Over the past year, the College of Engineering has undergone many changes and challenges. The Covid-19 pandemic has altered our world and affected every aspect of the College. We continue to move forward together as a community, still holding classes and with much of the research taking place on and off campus helping in the battle against Covid-19.

Beginning in March, students stayed home after spring break and continued classes virtually. Faculty and students were able to quickly pivot to a non-traditional approach to learning. Our community pulled together to continue to deliver the exceptional education experience that Tech is known for. The leadership team at the College quickly put measures in place to ensure uninterrupted learning for students with full faculty support.

An important challenge that also faces our community today is social justice. In the face of systemic racism and other injustices, the College has taken a stance and put measures in place to ensure the College remains as inclusive and diverse as possible. For those directly affected by the racism in our country, the College is dedicated to being strong allies of the community.

Throughout all of these changes and challenges, we stand together. The College remains committed to our students, faculty, research endeavors and the quest to create the most diverse and inclusive community possible.

The College in the Time of Covid-19

Since spring, our students and faculty took action in the face of the pandemic, showing ingenuity and tenacity in the face of uncertainty. Our researchers and students created personal protective equipment (PPE), respirator parts, ventilators, and provided insight into how to slow the spread of the virus. 

In the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Chair Sam Graham, researcher Chris Saldana and countless other student volunteers created face shields deployed to many local hospitals. Shannon Yee, ME associate professor, helped in leading a team to create a low-cost ventilator based on easy-to-source resuscitation bags. A recent Materials Science and Engineering graduate Kolby Hanley turned his company’s factory into a rapid response center that’s creating respirator parts. And, Pinar Keskinocak, professor in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering and director of the Center for Health and Humanitarian Systems, gave her expert commentary on how this pandemic is spreading, measures we can take to stay safe, and how the pandemic affects the supply chain. These are just a few examples of what our engineers are doing in the face of Covid-19.

Since 2004, the College has been the largest producer of female engineers in the U.S. Thirty-six percent of the College’s undergraduate engineering students are women, as opposed to just 18% nationally.

To help deal with mental health issues on the campus, a new initiative was started by the Dean to help faculty members recognize signs of mental distress and guide students to counseling services when needed. Faculty were trained in the Question Persuade Refer methodology to enable them to recognize signs of a student in distress. Advisors are joining the College who already have counseling experience. And, embedded counselors were also added to several engineering buildings to encourage students to reach out for therapy and to quicken availability for much needed services

The College’s Staff Culture Advisory Council (COESCAC) implemented a staff development program to provide staff opportunities to develop professionally and network within the College. The Unlocking the Mysteries of the Dean’s Office lecture series brought faculty and staff together to better understand the roles everyone plays in the College. Gender equality in the workplace was also a focus this year with a workshop on better understanding gender harassment and how it impacts individuals and communities.