Message from the Dean

By Jeff Goldberg, Interim Dean of the College of Engineering

I’m Jeff Goldberg and I became dean on Jan. 1, 2009, when the previous dean, my good friend and colleague Tom Peterson, went to Washington, D.C., to lead the National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Engineering. Since then, I have been working with faculty, staff and students to chart our direction during the next 5 years while Tom has been deciding how to spend the engineering directorate’s share of the NSF’s $3 billion stimulus package.

My role as dean is to develop an infrastructure that will enable us to best perform our mission of education, research, service and outreach. As I evaluate how we currently work—and how we might work in the future—I remain focused on creating an environment that attracts the best students, faculty and staff.

Many changes are under way at the UA and College, including the creation of a Department of Biomedical Engineering, and the establishment of the School of Sustainable Engineered Systems, or SSES, which will consist of the departments of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Mining and Geological Engineering, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Systems and Industrial Engineering.

The SSES will focus on critical linkages between systems in environment, energy, water and materials. The school will bring together more than 50 faculty members and draw on expertise throughout the campus. We see SSES as the cornerstone in using basic science and knowledge to bring problem-solving systems and devices that consider public policy and market challenges.

One of the many strengths of the school is the inclusion of Systems and Industrial Engineering. Taking the systems approach, rather than tackling individual components, will enable us to design interfaces, understand and quantify unexpected consequences, and consider large-scale models—all critical for solving difficult problems.

Biomedical engineering is an area of tremendous potential for Tucson and Arizona. We are already strong in medical imaging, nanomedicine, and cardiovascular and neural engineering. Bringing in faculty from the colleges of Medicine, Science, and Agriculture and Life Sciences will intensify that strength.

I look forward to working with each of you as we continue to refine and enrich the College of Engineering. Please feel free to contact me and please drop in if you are in the neighborhood.

Jeff