We enjoy sharing Engineering School news with you, and Dean Aylor values having a two-way conversation with you through a question each month that you can respond to if you have the interest. (If you do not wish for your responses to be shared in future issues of E-News or other School publications, or if you wish to remain anonymous, please note this in your e-mail.)
We are in the midst of an exciting process of transformation as we look at our strengths and weaknesses and envision together what we want the Engineering School of 2020 and beyond to be.
Dean Aylor invites you to be part of that transformation by sharing your thoughts, experiences and wisdom with us. If you have suggestions for questions you'd like us to ask, please send them to engr@virginia.edu.
2013 Question Archives:
April 2013: What do you think about the rising cost of higher education? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
March 2013: What do you think are the unique strengths that engineers can provide as leaders in business, government and academia? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
February 2013: What do you think of the Restore the Ideal Act, the Informed Retraction and the idea of returning to a jury composed of trained and experienced elected Honor Committee student representatives? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
January 2013: What is your best advice to prospective students as they make this important decision in their lives? In particular, why do you think they should choose SEAS? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
2012 Question Archives:
November 2012: What do you think are the best ways to increase representation and advancement of women in STEM fields? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
October 2012: What do you think is the best way to enrich the SEAS student educational experience? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
September 2012: What engineering research area do you think is the most important to society today? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
July 2012: What do you think about the use of distance communications and collaboration tools in the engineering workplace? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
June 2012: What is your opinion of the role of online/distance learning in the education of engineers? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
May 2012: How important do you think education in science, technology, engineering and math fields is to America today, and why? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
March 2012: Did you get involved in volunteer activities while you were a student at U.Va.? What did you learn and how did it impact your professional life? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
February 2012: Did you become an entrepreneur following your graduation? Please tell us your story. READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
January 2012: Why would you suggest that a student study engineering at U.Va.? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
2011 Question Archives:
October 2011: This academic year U.Va. is celebrating 175 years of engineering at the University. This occasion allows us to reflect on our rich history and make strategic plans for the future. With that in mind, what does this milestone mean to you? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
September 2011: What is the best way for SEAS to collaborate with public and private partners to support the growing innovation economy? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
August 2011: Thanks to the more than 1,000 alumni who already wrote welcome notes to incoming students. I was wondering, if you have not had a chance to welcome them, what advice would you offer to new students who are now starting their U.Va. careers? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
July 2011: Although the NASA space shuttle program is ending this month, the agency will continue exploration, technology and scientific research programs. What do you believe NASA should focus on over the next 50 years? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
June 2011: Traditionally, we have told prospective students, “If you’re good in math and science, you should study engineering.” While math and science aptitude remains an important criterion for success, we are increasingly looking for creative problem-solvers who bring diverse perspectives to bear on a problem. How do you think we should be talking to talented K-12 students who might be interested in engineering? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
May 2011: Thanks to the almost 1,000 alumni who already responded to our "Wisdom and Best Wishes" survey. If
you have not had a chance to respond, I was wondering, what advice do you have for students as they prepare to walk the Lawn? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
April 2011: What do you see as the future of social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
March 2011: Each spring we offer admission to some of the country’s top high school students. With that in mind, what would you tell them to help them make the decision to accept our offer of admission? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
February 2011: Knowing what you know now, what could the Engineering School have done to better prepare you for success in your career? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
January 2011: In thinking about our strategic planning efforts, I was wondering: What do you consider to be the strengths and challenges of SEAS’ graduate programs? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
2010 Question Archives:
December 2010: What value do you place on offering international experiences for students? Also, what kind of international experience should be emphasized, e.g. study, research, industry internship, community service, etc.? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
November 2010: The Engineering School is in the middle of a strategic planning process, the goal of which is to ensure that we are maximizing our impact in education and research. What do you think are the key issues that the strategy should address? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
October 2010: The Engineering School is increasingly connecting with alumni and friends through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. With that in mind, I was wondering: What social media applications do you use, and how can the Engineering School best use these technologies? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
September 2010: A team led by Charlottesville developer Oliver Kuttner recently won an international X Prize competition to build a car that can go 100 miles on a gallon of gasoline. With this in mind, I was wondering: What do you see as the most promising emerging trends in creating cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles? Also, how should the Engineering School get engaged? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
August 2010: What are the best ways for the U.Va. Engineering School to promote science, technology, engineering and math to K-12 students? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
July 2010: Internships and mentoring are an important part of the Engineering School’s curriculum. What were your most important internship and/or mentoring experiences as a student or new graduate? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
June 2010: How has your engineering background helped you to understand the recent oil spill in the Gulf, and what do you see as the most effective preventive and corrective measures? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
May 2010: With spring in full bloom and our fourth year students preparing to walk the Lawn, I was wondering: What is your fondest memory of graduation? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
April 2010: Some of the nation's brightest high school seniors are now deciding whether or not to accept their offers of admission to the U.Va. Engineering School. With that in mind, why did you or your family member decide to attend the U.Va. Engineering School? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
March 2010: From student internships in Africa to faculty research in China, the U.Va. Engineering School is increasing its presence around the world. What do you see as the benefits of our expanding international collaborations? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
February 2010: We have launched a new Web site and want to know what you think of it. After you've had a chance to explore the site, won’t you please take a short survey here? SURVEY
January 2010: We are considering the creation of a minor in nuclear energy.
What are your thoughts on the viability of this new minor? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
2009 Question Archives:
November 2009: With the popularity of our Engineering Business Minor and the viability of business career paths for our graduates, we are looking at ways to strengthen our entrepreneurial-focused curriculum. With that in mind, I was wondering: How have you been able to apply your engineering education to entrepreneurial ends, and what do you see as some key considerations for strengthening this component of our curriculum? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
October 2009: We are in the process of researching how best to communicate with the Engineering School's various audiences. You can help us out by completing the readers' survey for E-News. In the coming weeks, we will be asking for your feedback on the U.Va. Engineer alumni magazine. In general, how can we improve our communication with you? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
September 2009: A committee is now searching for the University of Virginia's next president. What do you see as some of the key characteristics and qualifications of a successful new president for a university in the 21st century with U.Va.'s unique history? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
August 2009: After World War II, many of our alumni were able to attend the U.Va. Engineering School thanks to the G.I. Bill. How do you see the new G.I. Bill affecting our School? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
July 2009: In an effort to increase the number of Virginia students graduating with two-year, four-year and graduate degrees by 70,000 over the next 10 years, business and education leaders are promoting stronger state support for higher education in this year’s elections. What can we all do to make this support a reality? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
June 2009: Legislation to rebuild our nation's highways and change how we travel will likely follow, and complement, a pending energy and climate bill in the U.S. Congress. What are the most important ways engineers can make the U.S. transportation system more sustainable? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
May 2009: Overhauling the U.S. electricity grid to accommodate increasing demand and more renewable forms of energy will require the diligence and skill of some of our country’s top engineers. There is now some debate about how private and public leaders who control America’s electricity grid can balance innovative solutions for a sustainable overhaul with the need to simply keep the lights on. How do you see a revamping of the U.S. electricity grid unfolding? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
April 2009: What do you see as the next ITE challenges that engineers will address? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
March 2009: The recently passed economic stimulus package represents a major investment in engineering research and careers. While it will take a while to see the full impact of this investment, what do you see as the long-term benefits of this package to you, your organizations and businesses, and the country? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
February 2009: In the current economy, we have been given an opportunity to reexamine how best to educate the "Engineer of 2020" as envisioned by the National Academy of Engineering. We will continue to focus on SEAS' strengths - educating analytically talented and creative engineers who become leaders in a variety of fields - but we may also need to seek further interdisciplinary collaborations to ready students for the world of the future. What are some of your suggestions for fulfilling this educational vision. READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
January 2009: What are some innovative ways that we, as engineers, can guide the change to sustainability and equip the population with the technology necessary to reduce global reliance on fossil fuels and the world's collective carbon footprint? READ RESPONSES | RESPOND
Send your comments and responses to engr@virginia.edu |
