Academics in the Spotlight: College of Engineering

From cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary initiatives to an intensified emphasis on preparing graduates for career success, the College of Engineering is surging forward, propelled by the ambitious, strategic plan of Distinguished Professor and Dean James M. Tien. Maintaining an enduring commitment to Educating Tomorrow's Technology Leaders for Career Success, he has challenged the College to join the highest ranked schools of engineering in the world.

Since arriving at UM in 2007 from his previous post as the Yamada Corporation Professor and Chair of the Department of Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Tien has set in motion his innovative and energetic vision to advance the college, including research thrusts in three specific areas: health and technobiology; decision modeling and risk; and sustainable systems.

Dean Tien also brings to the College of Engineering his notable and distinctive honor as a member in the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). This recognition is among the most prestigious in the engineering profession. The only NAE-member dean in Florida, Tien was recognized in 2001 for "his outstanding contributions to the development and application of systems engineering concepts and methodologies to improve public services and engineering education."

Founded in 1947, the College of Engineering offers Bachelor of Science degrees in aerospace, architectural, biomedical, civil, computer, electrical, environmental, industrial, and mechanical engineering, as well as engineering science, and masters and doctoral degrees in a number of disciplines, with several specializations in each field of study.

With students from around the globe, the CoE has an impressively diverse student body, consisting of students from 50 different countries spanning each continent except Antarctica. The student population consists of a 44% underrepresented minority group population, 33% of which is Hispanic. With 28% female enrollment (double the 14% national average), UM is proud to rank among the top ten engineering colleges and schools nationwide in female enrollments.

In the past year, seven distinguished new faculty members have been hired. Among them is Daniel Berg, who, along with Tien, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering; he is an expert on service systems engineering. Four of the seven newcomers are women, doubling their numbers on the college's faculty and highlighting the college's commitment to expanding the ranks of underrepresented minority and female engineers.

Preparing students for tomorrow's global economy, the college's disciplinary curricula continually progress and increasingly call upon STEM-science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-skills as an integral aspect of real-time, interactive engineering with a strong focus on the human element. Students benefit from opportunities to study, research and collaborate with professionals from a wide spectrum of disciplines, giving engineering graduates an advantage as they embark upon a 21st century career that will require critical thinking and innovation.

Dean Tien, who has an open-door policy, hosts Coffee with the Dean on the Second Tuesday of Every Month (STEM). Students gather informally, ask questions, and discuss their ideas with the dean over coffee and biscotti.

As an institution with a unique breadth of programs, schools, and disciplines, UM is a ‘living laboratory' for the eager engineering students who seek out opportunities for experiential learning. Our students participate in a number of interdisciplinary programs, including partnerships between various College of Engineering programs and the School of Medicine; the architectural engineering program and the School of Architecture; the audio engineering program and the School of Music; and the industrial engineering program and the School of Business Administration.

Engineering students benefit from support that includes a dedicated Career Services Center - the College is the only undergraduate program on campus to have its own placement facility. Industry partners including Microsoft, GE, Johnson & Johnson, and many others, partner with the College to recruit interns and career candidates. Our students are eagerly recruited to work with other students at the UM Launch Pad, an entrepreneurial support center. Presented with opportunities to participate in study abroad, students have an early glimpse at the international focus of their profession. They earn research opportunities through National Science Foundation grant awards to work on groundbreaking projects nation- and world-wide.

In the College of Engineering, personalized attention begins immediately-engineering freshmen are individually matched with peer counselors, sophomores and juniors who have been carefully selected, to act as mentors during a student's first year. These peer counselors, who usually work with five to seven students, ensure that engineering students receive important information about on-campus resources and important dates. They also coordinate study sessions, provide tutoring, and above all, make certain that the new engineering aspirants feel at home in the college upon arriving at the university.

The camaraderie and spirit of cooperation among students also extends to their extracurricular activities. Engineers Without Borders travel internationally to establish safe water and other infrastructure systems. The Society of Women Engineers mentor high school students and host an annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. And when students simply must take a break, they turn to Salsa Craze, a UM dance team led by two engineering students, to while the stress away. For more information on the College of Engineering, please visit their website at www.miami.edu/engineering.