"Change creates opportunity" is, no doubt, a familiar phase to many and it is very much the situation for the Engineering School these days.

As you may know, Richard W. Miksad stepped down as dean and returned to the ranks of the mechanical and aerospace engineering faculty in August. During his tenure as dean, enormous progress was made within the School including revision of the undergraduate curriculum to allow our students to take additional course offerings outside their chosen major, putting them in a better position to lead the technology advances of the next several decades. Also, during his 10-year tenure, our externally funded research more than doubled and now approaches the $50 million dollar annual level.

The change at the helm has already created opportunity for the School. Although the recruiting process for a permanent dean is still underway, the interviewing process brought several important facts to light. The University administration recognizes that resources in the form of faculty positions and new space are critical to the success of our School. In addition, President Casteen acknowledges that science and engineering must be strengthened in order for the University to maintain its status as a top-ranked public (and overall) university. These factors and others create an excellent opportunity for the School to achieve major advances over the next few years.

In order to assure you that the School is in capable hands until a permanent dean is selected, let me provide a few words of introduction. I have been on the faculty of the School for 25 years. I joined the faculty of the then department of electrical engineering in 1979 as an assistant professor after completing my Ph.D degree from the same department. To supplement my academic experience, I spent a year employed by the IBM Corporation doing design automation for integrated circuit design. After successfully advancing through the professorial ranks, I chaired the department for eight years during which time we worked with the computer science department to create undergraduate and graduate computer engineering degree programs and eventually the department was renamed the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. I later served as senior associate dean for Academic Programs, before becoming interim dean.

I have also had extensive administrative experience outside the University, including serving as the president of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) Computer Society and the president of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA).

These are exciting times for the School. Wilsdorf Hall, the new 80,000 square foot nanoscience and engineering building, will be completed in 2006. Ground should be broken for a new Information Technology Engineering building that will be the focal point of most of the information technology activities across the Grounds in 2006. We have excellent faculty, undergraduate and graduate student and much to celebrate and look forward to. With the full support of the faculty and the University administration, I intend to continue to advance the School and to take advantage of the outstanding opportunities that are ahead.

We thank all of you for your continued support and loyalty.