Photo by Morgan Estabrook.

Professor Matthew Neurock, left, discusses his research with Vic Pena, right, from nanoTITAN

The Engineering School welcomed corporations, researchers and executives from industry in its first Industry Open House on Friday, Feb. 23, 2007. This all-day event featured exhibits, networking opportunities and lab tours of research facilities and drew nearly 50 representatives from a wide range of businesses and agencies to Thornton Hall.

Attendees included representatives from Lockheed Martin Corporation, the National Technology Alliance, nanoTITAN Inc., General Electric, Sunset Learning Institute, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Liberty Ventures International LLC, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and the U.Va. Patent Foundation, among others.

The event featured a presentation by William A. Wulf, president of the National Academy of Engineering, University Professor and AT&T Professor of Computer Science at U.Va. Wulf spoke about “Engineering Education in the 21st Century.”

Participants visited labs in the Engineering School’s four applied research areas — bioengineering, nanotechnology, information science and technology, and energy and the environment — and enjoyed a tour of labs in the state-of-the-art materials science and nanotechnology research facility, Wilsdorf Hall.

This was the first of a series of industry days planned with the intent of strengthening the link between the Engineering School’s applied research and local, regional and national industries.