I'm a car person. You might say a real gear head. So, I find it relaxing to work on my vintage 1960 MG sports car. Beyond all that, I'm inspired by video of our undergraduates testing the autonomous cars they programmed to follow a race track. It's a track laid down in an outdoor classroom erected to give UC San Diego students options for safe, in-person education in the age of COVID-19. This hands-on composite materials class is another great example of the Jacobs School of Engineering community creating experiential educational opportunities during the pandemic.
For me, this kind of perseverance captures the spirit of the Jacobs School of Engineering and UC San Diego over the last 12 months. Every day, we strive to give our students the best education possible, while safely continuing our research and mentoring our undergraduates, graduate students and postdocs.
At the same time, our students step up and solve problems. Jaida Day is a case in point.
Despite multiple headwinds, the grit and determination I see every day from our students, staff and faculty are inspiring. As we close out the Winter Quarter, I'd like to thank everyone inside and outside the Jacobs School for your continued, unwavering hard work, support and collaboration. As you persevere, you inspire.
Stay tuned for my next newsletter in which I'll announce the updated US News & World Report Best Engineering Schools rankings.
In the meantime, I can be reached at DeanPisano@eng.ucsd.edu.
~Albert ("Al") P. Pisano, Dean
UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering