In order to be successful, tomorrow's engineers will need more than technology skills and a broad exposure to the liberal arts. They also will need to be able to perform in a global economy.

Our goal at the Engineering School is to educate a new generation of engineers who combine expert knowledge, familiarity with policy-making, and a global viewpoint. We must work with the right students, who have the right interests, and we must provide them with training in the right fields and expose them to the world beyond U.S. borders. By doing so, we strive to prepare our students to be "renaissance"engineers - ready to meet any challenge as they serve an ever-changing society.

We educate tomorrow's renaissance engineers in many ways. As you will read in this issue of the magazine, we are celebrating the 100-year anniversary of our senior thesis requirement. As our fourth-year students develop their year-long thesis projects, they work with faculty on technical, planning and communications skills; in the process they become technology leaders who understand the potential societal and ethical implications of their work.

Some of our students gain valuable policy-making experience through our Science and Technology Policy Washington (D.C.) Internship program. In the program's first three years, our students have enjoyed exciting internships in high-level policy-making offices where they have opportunity to learn about the political, economic and social pressures that contribute to the formulation of public policy. Markus Weisner, a 2001 intern, was recently named a 2004 Truman Scholar, based on his leadership potential and intellectual ability.

Through the School's participation in the Universitas 21 Science, Engineering and International Diplomacy program, we provide our undergraduates opportunities to intern in a foreign ministry, where they can observe the increasingly important roles that science and engineering play in shaping foreign policy. Other engineering students participate in the International Technology and Management program, which allows students to study at partner institutions and to choose courses that bridge the gap between traditional engineering and business education.

Many of our students seize opportunities to explore the world outside the classroom through our Capstone Projects. Last summer, a group of undergraduates went to Guatemala to help with a sanitation project. Other students participated in the research work of Professor Robert Marquez, who devises technical solutions to environmental problems using tools and technology readily available in developing countries.

But not every opportunity to offer our students renaissance experiences occurs far from Charlottesville. Recent changes to our curriculum make it easier for students to study outside their chosen technical field. Currently 40 percent of our undergraduates minor or earn a second major in another discipline - 10 percent in economics alone. And this year, we launched the Robert and Ashley Montgomery Engineering Business Minor, thanks to the generosity of alumni Dan T. Montgomery of Clark Construction Group and William P. Utt.

Our School continues to educate tomorrow's engineers - just as it has done for as long as any of us remembers. Times change, but the excellence of our students and their ability to adapt to change remains the same. Thank you for all you do to help keep our educational programs strong and vibrant.