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DEAN'S LETTER

As the academic year comes to an end, we have an opportunity to review the activities of the past year. As I look back on our accomplishments during this time of change, I am proud that we have remained committed to excellence in learning, scholarship and discovery.

Since the Chancellor approved the formation of a Department of Bioengineering in June 2002, we have been developing the scholastic program and facilities necessary to prepare students to become leaders in the evolving convergence of biology and engineering. The graduate program is already in full swing, and our new department will accept its first freshman students in the fall of 2004.

We marked the official opening of three major research centers within the School. The Institute for Cell Mimetic Space Exploration (CMISE), the Center for Nanoscience Innovation for Defense (CNID) and the Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CENS) are part of a drive to pursue groundbreaking research that spans multiple disciplines and uncovers emerging fields of study

We have successfully recruited twelve outstanding individuals to our faculty, and expect to hire several more in the next year. They will join a distinguished group; this year alone three members of our faculty were elected to the National Academy of Engineers, and one member each was elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. It is a rare achievement for one institution to have this many faculty members recognized in a single year.

Architectural plans have been finalized and approved by the university’s Academic Senate to replace our Engineering I building with a state-of-the-art facility housing modern research labs, faculty offices and functional instruction areas. Phased demolition has begun and construction will begin later this year.

Despite the struggling economy, public and private funding for the School has reached its highest levels in recent history. More than $61 million was awarded from federal, state and local agencies. In addition, roughly $4.2 million was raised through our industrial affiliates programs, gifts and other fundraising activities.

Last year our undergraduate program had 2,680 students and our graduate program had 1,345 students. While some final grades have yet to be entered, we expect to confer more than 645 baccalaureate degrees, 247 M.S. and 99 Ph.D degrees for 2002-03.

We hope that the new year will offer opportunities for the School’s students, faculty, staff and partners to build on the strong foundation of last year’s achievements and reach new heights of distinction. I look forward to sharing news of our successes with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Vijay K. Dhir
Dean

FEATURE STORIES

Laser Breakthrough Leads to Jump in Bandwidth, More Powerful Chips
Electrical engineering professor Ming Wu is boosting the performance of semiconductor lasers using an optical injection system that offers nearly three times the bandwidth capacity of single semiconductor lasers. Wu says the lasers, which are an essential component of large-scale optical telecommunications networks, are so strong, it is as if they are “on steroids.”
http://www.engineer.ucla.edu/stories/2003/laser.htm

Computer Science Department Grows
The School of Engineering’s Computer Science Department is growing! Six new colleagues join the department, bringing with them expertise in programming languages, software verification, game theory, cryptography, embedded systems and several other areas.
Learn more about the School’s newest computer scientists at http://www.cs.ucla.edu/.

Professor Yoram Cohen Wins the 2003 Lawrence K. Cecil Award
The Environmental Division of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers has recognized Cohen for his“pioneering contributions to research and education in multimedia environmental systems and for helping shape the modern approach to environmental protection from a multimedia perspective.” The award, sponsored by BP America Inc., will be presented at AIChE’s annual meeting November 18. Cohen is the Director of the Polymer and Separations Research Lab.
Find out more about Cohen’s research at http://www.polysep.ucla.edu/.

MEDIA WATCH: UCLA ENGINEERING IN THE NEWS

Living Molecules + Man-Made Parts = “Miracle Machines”
Bioengineering Chair Carlo Montemagno has combined natural molecules and man-made parts to build nanodevices he calls “bio bots.” These tiny machines could one day deliver drugs to precise targets inside your body, or carry out internal repairs on the spot. What does Montemagno hope to do with these miracle machines? This ScienCentral News report explains. Check out the accompanying video to see the bio bots in action!
http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?language=english&type=&article_id=218391960

Casting the Wireless Sensor Net
Embedded sensor systems may prove to be as important a technology as the Internet, expanding people’s ability to interact with the physical world in an extraordinary number of ways. Several UCLA professors are at the forefront of this technology, including engineering professors Deborah Estrin, William Kaiser and Greg Pottie. They recently spoke to MIT Technology Review magazine about what the future will be like in an age of pervasive computing.
http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/print_version/huang0703.asp

Science Grads Look to Future
This year’s science and engineering graduates have plenty of options, according to mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Ann Karagozian, who spoke to Daily Bruin reporter Jeyling Chou.
http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?ID=24783

Read more UCLA Engineering news at http://www.engineer.ucla.edu

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