LCS Dean's Blog: 2011

Monday, February 21, 2011

Today I am announcing an exciting new opportunity for LCS undergraduate and graduate students: the first annual Invention and Creativity competition. This year, the competition will focus on the development of technologies which can contribute to sustainable living solutions. One-page proposals from student teams will describe the project, its importance and its benefits, and the computer science or engineering principles involved. Students who enter the competition will have a chance to be mentored by local venture capitalists or technology entrepreneurs, and to develop their ideas for presentation on April 8th. Prizes for the best presentations will be awarded and money will be available to selected teams for prototype development.

Click Here to see the competition details

Welome to my blog!

My name is Dr. Laura J. Steinberg, and I’m Dean of SU’s L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science (LCS). This is the first installment of periodic blogs from me. My Dean’s blog will focus on topics of interest to LCS students and alumni – things like my upcoming visit to London and Milan to talk about how scientists and engineers model the effects of terrorism attacks and natural disasters on urban infrastructure. On occasion, my blog might even be a bit whimsical – you may find a description of a play at Syracuse Stage, or of a snowshoe trek I took at Beaver Lake Park. As often as possible, I’ll offer websites where you can follow-up for more information.

One of the reasons why I want to talk with you on this blog is that there is so much happening in the world of engineering that I would like to share with you. This is a very exciting time to be an engineer: so many of the issues the world is focused on will need engineering and technology to help address them. For example: we need to create secure cyber-infrastructure to prevent hacking into our most personal information; we need to find ways of capturing, storing, and using alternative forms of energy; we have challenges in protecting our country from natural and manmade disasters and in protecting our GI’s on the battlefield; and much of the world is thirsting for reliable water supplies and in need of medical breakthroughs.

At the same time, the world of engineering work itself is changing. With more computerization and globalization, more of the engineer’s time is spent managing, coordinating, and interpreting than ever before. With much of the mundane work of engineering now done by computers or even by engineers living “offshore,” the engineer has more time to focus on difficult design issues and on managing the design and analysis process. And, engineers are spending more time working in groups and engaging with public policy makers, rather than living a “solitary “ life at the drafting board. These changes mean that engineers will need to develop their capabilities in teamwork, communication, and big-picture thinking very early in their careers. It will be a challenge for engineering schools to meet these developmental needs during the four years students are at school. In upcoming editions of this blog, I will talk more about how LCS can best prepare our students for life as engineers or in other professions in the 21st century...

Monday, February 21, 2011

Dean Laura J. Steinberg

Welome to my blog!

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