Even in the midst of state budget cuts, the quality of engineering instruction during the past year remained extremely high and, for the first time, all “ranked” undergraduate engineering programs are in the Top 10 according to U.S. News and World Report. COE continues to be the largest College of Engineering in the country graduating the most Ph.D.’s in engineering.  COE was also named the number one Engineering School for Hispanic students by Hispanic Business, Inc. These accomplishments are indicative of the outstanding work done by our faculty, staff, and most importantly, our students. In addition, sixteen undergraduate COE programs, on both the Atlanta and Savannah campuses, had their accreditation renewed by ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) - another indicator of the high quality of engineering education at Georgia Tech.

Educational Programs

Last year the College continued to develop innovative educational programs that integrate disciplines and engage students in the excitement of learning. COE degree programs encourage flexibility and interdisciplinary interests in the planning a student’s program of study. COE continued to expand opportunities for students and faculty to collaborate not only within COE, but with other colleges on the Tech campus, and universities nationally and across the globe.

Research

During the past year, COE continued its research preeminence. Several new research centers were established  including the Center for Innovative Cardiovascular Technologies; the U.S. Air Force Center of Excellence to design nanostructures for energy harvesting and adaptive materials; and the Center for Operations Research in Medicine and HealthCare.

Social Awareness

COE continues to serve the citizens of the state and nation leveraging research advances in the area of affordable solar energy and sustainability; new tools for cancer treatment and diagnosis; transportation efficiency and traffic flow improvement; waste management and pollution prevention; and new devices for military use.

International Outreach

In addition, the College moved forward with additional international connections as the first American enrolled in the Dual Masters program between Georgia Tech's Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE) and the National University of Singapore (NUS). COE students were also part of the ATLANTIS program, a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of Education and the European Commission. Master’s students in electrical and computer engineering were able to study in Torino, Italy and Munich, Germany. ISyE opened a Trade-Chain Innovation and Productivity (TIP) Center in San Jose, Costa Rica to teach graduate students and company executives how to improve supply chains and logistics in order to get products to market faster and more efficiently.

Translational Research

In 2010, the College is moving forward with emphasis on translational research - a research approach that seeks to move “from bench to bedside” or from laboratory experiments through clinical trials to actual point-of-care patient applications. COE faculty have been particularly successful in the biomedical area working with such partners as Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University, and the U.S. Defense Department in areas such as integrated robotic prostheses for soldiers, pediatric kidney dialysis, and brain tumor detection.

Tomorrow’s Leaders

Efforts will continue in 2010 to develop innovative, experiential educational programs as we prepare our students to be the leaders of a technologically driven world. The future dictates we produce engineers who have a sense of social and environmental responsibility; who push boundaries with new applications; who find solutions to avoid problems; and who question, challenge, inspire, and excel.

 

Here are some accomplishments by our faculty and students:

  • Biomedical engineering graduate Virgil Secasanu was named to USA Today’s All College Academic Team.
  • Three COE grads went into space in the year 2009 - Eric Boe, Shane Kimbrough, and Sandra Magnus ventured forth on space shuttles. Magnus also spent time on the International Space Station.
  • Mike Duke, a COE graduate with a degree in industrial engineering, has been named president and chief executive officer of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Duke was also elected to the company’s board of directors.
  • Dr. Vladimir Tsukruk, MSE/PTFE received the Humboldt Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
  • Dr. Reginald DesRoches, CEE, was appointed to the Disasters Roundtable of the National Academies.  This  roundtable facilitates and enhances the exchange of ideas among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers in order to identify urgent and important issues related to the understanding and mitigation of natural disasters, technological disasters, and other disasters.
  • Dr. Said Abdel-Khalik, Southern Nuclear Distinguished Professor in the Nuclear and Radiological Engineering program (NRE), was appointed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission to a 2nd term on the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS).
  • Two COE faculty were named Georgia Research Alliance Scholars – Edward Coyle, (ECE), Professor and Arbutus Chair for the Integration of Research and Education and David Sholl, ChBE, Professor and Michael E. Tennenbaum Family Chair.
  • Zhong Lin (Z.L.) Wang, Regents’ Professor of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE), was elected as a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the leading academic institution and comprehensive research and development center in natural science, technological science and high-tech innovation in China.
  • The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation named Yash Kolambkar, Bioengineering, as one of 13 leading scientific postdoctoral researchers to join the first class of Kauffman Postdoctoral Fellows.
  • Mechanical engineering (ME) graduate student, Jose F. Medina, was awarded a 2009 Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship.
  • Juan Pablo Vielma, a PhD student in the Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISyE), was awarded the 2009 Herman Goldstine Postdoctoral Fellowship in Mathematical Sciences.
  • Aerospace Engineering undergraduate and graduates student teams from Georgia Tech took first place in the 2009 American Helicopter Society International Helicopter Design Competition (AHS).
  • A team of Georgia Tech students received worldwide recognition for their entry in the 2009 Imagine Cup. Mechanical engineering undergraduate Marc Pare and computer science graduate student Kathy Pham (Georgia Tech’s Team Curious) placed first in the competition’s MashUp category, and were the only U.S. group to receive top honors in any of the nine invitational categories.