April 2020
As Dean of the Jacobs School of Engineering, my daily work involves engaging constituents inside and outside the university to empower our faculty, students and staff. With COVID-19 upon us, it is now more important than ever. I am personally connecting resources with needs and moving conversations forward in many different directions as we respond to the pandemic and continue to deliver on our education and research missions. And I couldn’t be more proud of our Jacobs School people and partners who are committed to maintaining and building momentum.
The Jacobs School recently jumped to #9 in the US News Rankings of Best Engineering Schools. This rise from #17 just four years ago reflects the world-class talents, excellence and perseverance of our entire community. I know we are all digging deep and using these qualities to make a difference during this pandemic.
Powerful pivot on education
This week, we launched the Spring Quarter in a fully remote-learning mode. I would like to recognize the grit, hard work and commitment of all the staff, faculty and students who pivoted hundreds of classes into a remote-access education machine in less than two and a half weeks. Thank you for your incredible work.
Research teams stepping up
Faculty, students, staff and alumni from across the entire school are stepping up to the many challenges the SARS-CoV-2 virus has put before us. In this email, we highlight a few of the many projects we are pursuing. Some of our newest faculty hires, here for less than a year, are leading and participating in these projects. I am blown away by this incredible burst of energy, and I look forward to sharing more news with you, as it breaks, regarding the important impact that our teams are having.
Engineering for the public good
The ethical teaching, development and deployment of engineering and computer science has never been more important than it is right now. In these challenging times, we continue the Jacobs School's work to leverage engineering for the public good -- in both education and research.
I invite you to engage with the Jacobs School and to reach out to me at: DeanPisano@eng.ucsd.edu
Take care and stay safe. We are all in this together.
~Albert P. Pisano, Dean
UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering