Clark School Significant Accomplishments

Dear Friends of the Clark School,

 

January 2012

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Dean PinesBased on the events of the last few months, I think you'll agree that the Clark School is operating at an exceptionally high level as we enter 2012.

Here is just some of the evidence:
First Place Worldwide in 2011 Department of Energy Solar Decathlon

The University of Maryland team—200 students from the School of Architecture, the Clark School, Watershed and several others, guided by faculty advisors, alumni mentors and corporate sponsors—took first place worldwide in this ten-contest competition designed to demonstrate that solar power is a viable, sustainable alternative to conventional energy sources. The team's 800-square foot WaterShed home not only showed the efficacy of solar power, but also provided a creative response to water conservation. Competitors included excellent teams from Purdue, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, CalTech, New Zealand, China, Canada and Belgium.

World Record for Gamera's Flight

GameraThe Fédération Aéronautique Internationale has certified that the Clark School’s Gamera human-powered helicopter team set world records earlier this year for flight duration and flight duration with a female pilot. The FAI certified the 4.2-second flight of May 12, 2011, and the 11.4-second flight of July 13, 2011, which supersedes the first. Gamera was designed and built by a team of 50 students at the Clark School, and piloted by biology student Judy Wexler. The team is currently working on a lighter and more efficient vehicle in pursuit of the Sikorsky Prize and hopes to fly it this spring.

Eleventh in 2011 Academic Ranking of World Universities

ARWUThe Clark School rose two spots to #11 in the 2011 Academic Ranking of World Universities for engineering/technology and computer science schools. Among all public university programs, the Clark School was ranked 8th. The rankings were based on the number of highly cited researchers, number of papers indexed by Science Citation Index-Expanded, percentage of papers published in the top journals, and engineering-related research expenditures. For 2011, our expenditures were $144.5 million, highest in the school's history.

Highest Performing Freshman Class

Freshmen ClassOur fall 2011 admitted freshmen were the highest performing in the school's history: 1381 average SAT (1310 25th percentile, 1450 75th percentile) and 4.2 average weighted GPA, with 25.6% females and 12% minorities. In addition to the quality of our program and our location in the federal region, students are attracted by our comparatively low cost: the University of Maryland was ranked 8th in the nation for best value by Kiplinger's.

First Place in 2011 Sports Car Club of America Solo National Championship

Terps RacingMembers of the Clark School's Terps Racing team were the 2011 Sports Car Club of America Solo National Champions in the Formula SAE Class. Drivers from the team came in first and third, setting the fastest time by almost three seconds at the event. Solo events are driving skill contests that emphasize the driver's ability and the car's handling characteristics.

Record-Setting Philanthropy at Every Level

Great ExpectationsAs we near the completion of the Great Expectations campaign, the Clark School continues to soar past its $185 million goal toward a new unofficial goal of $225 million. In September of 2011, Baltimore developer, philanthropist and Clark School alumnus Edward St. John (B.S. '61, electrical engineering) gave the university a landmark gift of $10 million to help create a world-class teaching center: a high-tech classroom facility serving students campus-wide, with large lecture halls and a series of classrooms offering seating for nearly 2,000 students. With gifts from alumni and friends, our Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering established the James N. Newton Scholarship Fund to honor its former director and benefit under-represented minorities and other engineering students. The Women in Engineering Advisory Board created the Women in Engineering Opportunity Scholarship to help recruit and retain high-performing students and provide support in financial emergencies. Advisory Board members have contributed to the new fund and hope to inspire alumni and other members of the Clark School community to join them. To learn how you can help, please contact Leslie Borak.

With such excellent accomplishments in the last six months, it’s a wonderful time to get involved with the Clark School! I encourage you to explore this e-newsletter and our website to find an area in which you can participate. We welcome your interest.

Darryll Pines
Farvardin Professor and Dean