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Minutes
The Engineering College Council (ECC) met in Ithaca on November 5-6, 2001. The following ECC members were present.
Thomas Armstrong Michael S. Isaacson Richard Aubrecht Gretchen Knoell Bob Cowie Jim McCormick Harold G. Craighead Neil Schilke Linn Draper Bill Shreve Hervé Gallaire Roger Strauch Peter Giles Sherri Stuewer David Hodges Jan Suwinski Bill Hudson
Sherri Stuewer thanked the ECC members for taking the time from their busy schedules to participate in the fall meeting.
Interim Dean Harold Craighead thanked the Council for their advice and gave an overview of the College, touching on several initiatives led by the College. He noted that President Rawlings had elevated nanoscience and technology to a University priority. The Council was excited about the report and noted that the College needed to develop ways to expand its role in the emerging University priorities. They stressed the necessity of articulating the College vision and finding ways to bring this vision to people with non-technical backgrounds. The Council noted that there is a communication gap and that the University does not fully acknowledge the leadership and importance that engineering can and does play in many University initiatives. The Council suggested ways to increase the College's role in interdisciplinary efforts, such as identifying engineering faculty who can take leadership roles in interdisciplinary activities and recruiting faculty who seek interdisciplinary research. Harold Craighead agreed that the College must better articulate our vision to the University and promote College leadership in interdisciplinary activities. One suggestion from the Council was to develop university wide seminars about engineering and technology in a similar fashion as is done at present in the social sciences and humanities. Finally, there was some discussion regarding the computer science issue, and the Council stressed again the importance of resolving this issue. Harold Craighead acknowledged the importance of rebuilding relationships as a prerequisite for analyzing what structure for computer science is optimal. The Council had an open-ended discussion on funding for the College and on the allocation of funding within the College. They raised questions about the "inertia" in funding and how best to nurture new fields of study.
Faculty Presentations:
- Marjolein van der Meulen (Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering) gave an overview of the Biomedical Engineering (BME) Program initiative. She discussed the different pathways available to students interested in studying BME. The Council expressed strong support for the development of the BME program in a fashion that fits Cornell and may not necessarily fit into the notion of BME as given by the Whitaker Foundation.
- Louis Derry (Earth and Atmospheric Sciences) gave a brief presentation on the initiatives in biogeochemistry. The Council felt such an initiative is needed and stressed the importance of making the issues understood by the public at large.
- Robert Thomas (Electrical and Computer Engineering) presented an update on PSERC (the Power Systems Engineering Research Center). He noted that about three dozen companies are part of the program and it is growing. The Council applauded this program and gave Bob Thomas the credit for its success. They urged the program to consider issues of power generation and green house emission constraints as well.
- Associate Dean Theresa Jordan presented an overview of the interdisciplinary instruction at the undergraduate level in Earth Science and Biomedical Engineering. She also covered a proposal for Engineering and Non-Engineers. The Council agreed that the College is on the right track with the interdisciplinary activities; however, there was significant discussion about the purpose for Engineering for Non-Engineers. They urged that the College consider offering technology courses for a non-technical audience that are not "watered down". Such courses could also serve the purpose of bringing engineering to the forefront of the university community at large.
Report from Provost Biddy Martin:
The Provost discussed the areas for renewal and innovation across the University - both academic and infrastructure. She noted that Cornell had the challenge and opportunity to excel in interdisciplinary activities which bridge life sciences, physical sciences, and engineering. She encouraged the College to take a leadership role in the life sciences initiatives. When asked about the computer science issue, she said that this issue should not affect the ability to hire a new dean. She said that resolution of the computer science issue would require consideration of many factors, such as faculty recruiting, research collaboration, administrative burden, and student programs. The Provost pointed out that the University was initiating program reviews for all academic units, and she appeared not to be aware that the Engineering College had already been doing such reviews for several years. As follow up, Harold Craighead committed to send past program reviews to her. The Council appreciated the Provost's forthright comments and offered continued support in the dean search process.
Faculty Presentations:
- Bob Buhrman provided an update on the nanotechnology initiatives. The Council was pleased with the new introductory courses and their strong enrollment, as well as the exciting research work in the Center for Nanoscale Systems.
- A panel presented information on the Cornell Research Foundation and its efforts for technology transfer. The Council was very interested in the challenges to developing and keeping companies in Upstate New York.
In closing the full meeting, ECC chair, Sherri Stuewer recognized the great work being done by the Interim Dean. In summarizing the meeting, the Council stressed the importance to the College of communications within the University. The Council believes that strengthening the role of the College in achieving the priorities of the University will depend on improved communications and on effective sharing of the capabilities and vision of the College.
The spring meeting of the Engineering College Council has been set for April 10 and 11 with a half day on April 11th. The meeting will immediately proceed the spring meeting of the Cornell Society of Engineers.
Attendance
The Engineering College Council (ECC) met in Ithaca on November 5-6, 2001. The following ECC members were present.
Thomas Armstrong Michael S. Isaacson
Richard Aubrecht Gretchen Knoell
Bob Cowie Jim McCormick
Harold G. Craighead Neil Schilke
Linn Draper Bill Shreve
Hervé Gallaire Roger Strauch
Peter Giles Sherri Stuewer
David Hodges Jan Suwinski
Bill Hudson