Fall 2022 Message from the Dean

Occasionally when people hear that I am an engineer, someone will say, “I could never be an engineer since I am more of a creative type.” I disagree. Engineering is profoundly creative! In fact, what makes engineering research so much fun is that we get to imagine what our future society might look like. We get to envision how yet-to-be-created technologies can be used to improve the human condition by making the world a better, more healthy, productive, clean and equitable place. Health of the planet and its people are the central themes that drive us in the UCI Samueli School of Engineering. Our faculty and students are at the forefront of imagining what this future could look like. Our research is pushing the boundaries of knowledge and as a result, the creativity, imagination and fearlessness can be found everywhere in our labs and classrooms.

On a personal note, I recently wrapped up my first year as the Stacey Nicholas Dean of Engineering and it has been a fun and high-energy ride. During the past year, we rolled out several new initiatives, including the UCI Engineering-Los Alamos National Laboratory Fellowship program and the budding “Looking South” partnership with universities in Latin and South America. It was also a record-breaking year in terms of sponsored research, with an impressive 24% increase over the previous year.

We also saw a record-breaking graduating class in June 2021. You have probably heard me say it before but it is worth repeating. The number one "product" that we produce is people; people who graduate from our programs and go out and have an impact on our local and global communities as researchers, educators, entrepreneurs, industry leaders or policymakers. This year, we will focus on strengthening the connectivity between our students and local industries, as well as increase our efforts to make sure that every engineering student is part of a meaningful, cohort-based experience that reaches beyond the regular classroom boundaries.

I am optimistic about the direction of the UCI Samueli School of Engineering. To that end, I welcome your creative ideas, constructive feedback and compelling stories.

Best,

Magnus Egerstedt, Ph.D.
Stacey Nicholas Dean of Engineering
UCI Samueli School of Engineering