Question of the Month
Higher education institutions, including the University of Virginia, are engaged in ongoing efforts to maintain quality in educational offerings in the face of shrinking state support.
In light of these efforts,
what you do you think about the rising cost of higher education?
I look forward to hearing from you,
Jim Aylor, Dean
The Engineering School and the Curry School of Education are collaborating with Charlottesville and Albemarle County public schools to establish the first U.S. Laboratory School for Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, backed by a $300,000 planning grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia. The lab school will provide training for students in science and engineering in preparation for high-tech jobs and will help prepare future teachers in the integration of engineering concepts into science education. (More)
HackCville is a one-of-a-kind entrepreneurship experience. Unlike other entrepreneurship entities, HackCville doesn’t provide funding or take equity in participating ventures. “HackCville is about the education, not the venture,” says founder and SEAS 2007 graduate Spencer Ingram. “Our motto is ‘Grow Great Founders.’” The name HackCville, Ingram says, is a nod to the idea that students should “hack their education by making use of all the resources available to them.” (More)
The student chapter of the Association of Computer Machinery (ACM) hosted the third annual U.Va. High School Programming Contest (HSPC) in March. More than 150 high school students arrived on Grounds ready to compete for first-, second- and third-place awards. They came from 24 different high schools around the Commonwealth, as well as from Maryland. In total, over 200 people attended the event. The contest was launched in 2011 to boost interest in the study of computer science, and it has done just that: The first year of competition attracted three teams, 18 participated in 2012, and this year there were 39 teams competing. (More)
Davis Blalock, 21, a third-year electrical and computer engineering major, and Ellen D. Zhong, 20, a third-year chemical engineering major have received research scholarships from the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation for 2013. Blalock also has completed the requirements for a cognitive science major in the College of Arts & Sciences. The two are among 271 students nationwide who received scholarships, given by the Goldwater Foundation to second- and third-year students who intend to pursue careers in mathematics, the natural sciences or engineering. (More)
Even in our digital age, atoms trump bits. None of the digital wonders people enjoy — from wireless communications to Google searches — would be possible without the mastery of materials required to create computer chips. Progress in addressing every significant 21st century challenge — whether it’s to preserve the environment, rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, enhance the nation’s defense, or provide better medical care — will require new insight into the structure of materials, new ways to process materials, or the creation of completely new materials. Seen in this light, the research and education conducted by the Department of Materials Science and Engineering is extremely important — and the department is well positioned to make a contribution. (More)
Of Note
The Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing Unveils New Research and Product Development Facility During Grand Opening, Friday, March 25. Read More.
More than a thousand prospective students and their families attended the SEAS Open House on March 23.
