Clark School Significant Accomplishments

Dear Friends of the Clark School,

 

December, 2009

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Dean PinesIn January 2009 I was honored to become dean of this great school, and I am pleased to report that one year later we are experiencing remarkable successes in all of our areas of work — engineering education, research, entrepreneurship and service. This is not my doing, but the accomplishment of our exceptional faculty, staff, students, alumni, Board of Visitors and other donors and volunteers. My thanks to all of you for making our progress possible, especially considering the serious budgetary challenges we have faced thus far and will continue to face for at least another year. With your guidance and support, we will complete our ascent among the ranks of the very best engineering programs in the country.

Record Research Funding

UMIn energy, healthcare, defense, homeland security, cybersecurity and information assurance, autonomous systems, space exploration, transportation and other key areas, the Clark School's faculty members do an outstanding job of answering the research needs of major funding sources. In fact, in the last year we have attracted the highest level of research funding in the school's history, jumping from $111 million to $171 million, a 54 percent increase.

Five in the Top 20

US NewsFor the first time, five Clark School undergraduate programs have achieved top 20 U.S. News and World Report rankings: aerospace engineering, 6th; computer engineering, 16th; electrical engineering, 17th; mechanical engineering, 20th; and entrepreneurship programs, 11th. In a separate evaluation, the Institute of Higher Education and Center for World-Class Universities ranked the Clark School 14th in the world based on research achievements.

Competition Drives Performance

J. Charles TobinClark School students thrive on competition. Our undergraduate and graduate student teams took first place in recent contests (opens PDF) against teams from across the country and around the world, in high-altitude ballooning, bioethics, rocket design, lunar flying vehicle design, wing design and morphing space suit design. J. Charles Tobin, Ph.D. '09, pictured, was awarded a prestigious Fermilab Peoples Fellowship for high-energy physics.

Leading in Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Buno PatiBuno Pati, B.S. '86, M.S. '88 and Ph.D. '92, pictured, was our 2009 inductee into the Clark School Innovation Hall of Fame. Pati developed the phase-shift lithography process that revolutionized integrated circuit design and production in the 1990s and led to the powerful laptops, cell phones and other portable electronics we know today. With fellow alumnus Phil Wiser, B.S. '90, Dr. Pati has launched a new venture called Sezmi that offers the first-ever personal television system to redefine the television viewing experience. If you haven't visited our Innovation Hall of Fame, I strongly recommend it to you. You will be proud of the amazing contributions made by Clark School engineers.

Inspired to Give

Charles E. WaggnerThe University of Maryland chapter of Engineers Without Borders, comprising mainly Clark School students, builds sustainable water, waste and energy projects in impoverished areas in Africa, Asia and South America. Through his work with the Clark School’s Board of Visitors, Charles E. Waggner, B.S. '54, pictured, a successful engineer in the petrochemical industry, learned about the chapter's efforts and met its founding faculty advisor Deborah Goodings, now chair of civil engineering at George Mason University. The experience inspired him to establish at the Clark School the Deborah Goodings Professorship in Engineering for Global Sustainability, giving special emphasis to this important discipline. The Clark School wishes to thank Mr. Waggner for his vision and generosity. We also thank Clark School Corporate Partner Northrop Grumman Corporation and its Electronic Systems sector for establishing the Northrop Grumman Fellowship, including tuition grant, stipend and benefits, for doctoral candidates in electrical and computer engineering. We are also grateful to the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation for funding seven full scholarships that will support students majoring in civil and environmental engineering, electrical and computer engineering or mechanical engineering, especially under-represented minorities.

Great ExpectationsAs we enter the critical final two years of the Great Expectations campaign, please consider joining these generous supporters by making your own gift to the Clark School at the level that is right for you. Please contact Leslie Borak, assistant dean for external relations, for assistance. Your contribution will help us maintain our incredible momentum in this challenging financial environment.

Darryll Pines
Dean and Farvardin Professor