Skip to main content

Engineering excellence for the public good

Strategic Plan 2022-2027

Creating a healthier and more just world through our work

Researchers at the Lutz Lab work to develop an at-home COVID-19 test in 2020

We are committed to making the world a better place by producing the highest-quality graduates and research and engaging our community. We will augment our relationship with the health sciences to accelerate health-care solutions. We will distinguish ourselves from other engineering schools by focusing on high-impact interdisciplinary research and incentivizing collaborations that serve the public good.

   

STRATEGY 1

Ground our curriculum in technical excellence, a commitment to the public good, and the translation of discoveries into real-world applications

FIVE-YEAR GOAL

Design and construct a distinctive undergraduate engineering curriculum that adapts to changing student demographics and societal needs; promotes commitment to the public good in the classroom and experiential learning; and introduces students to:

  • Core and advanced engineering competencies and their application
  • Interdisciplinary inquiry and problem-solving
  • Innovation, entrepreneurship and technology translation
  • Leadership and collaborative skills
  • Technology’s interaction with natural and social environments
  • Engineering ethics
  • Collaborative initiatives with nonprofit, government and community organizations to address specific local and global challenges

First year (2022-2023)

Curriculum assessment

  • Evaluate current classes.
  • Inventory existing College course offerings related to public good, health, data sciences, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), innovation and entrepreneurship to identify curricular gaps.
  • Obtain feedback, engagement and buy-in from departments.
  • Develop metrics (survey first-year students, transfer students and graduating seniors).
  • Identify at least two recommendations from the strategic planning Innovative Engineering Education subcommittee report for implementation.

Second year (2023-2024)

  • Apply findings from the curriculum assessment to plans for future classes and class content.
  • Form Industry Curriculum Advisory Committee (ICAC) to provide feedback and provide engineering professional skill inventory for continuous improvement of engineering education and new program creation. Develop sustainable engagement model for the committee.
  • Implement the recommendations of the Innovative Engineering Education subcommittee.
   

STRATEGY 2

Distinguish the College by focusing on high-impact, large-scale, interdisciplinary research centered on the public good

FIVE-YEAR GOALS

Develop the administrative infrastructure to support collaborative research efforts in the pursuit of national interdisciplinary research centers.

Deepen and expand affiliations with UW colleges, schools, institutes and centers to strengthen existing partnerships and to identify promising interdisciplinary collaborations.

Establish joint hiring processes with other UW units and national laboratories to recruit research leaders to promote inter- and intra-organizational collaborations.

First year (2022-2023)

  • Introduce best practices for center-level proposal support including pre-award center proposal and post-award center support needs in the College.
  • Form a working group focused on one interdisciplinary topic to identify major federal and local research grant opportunities and to expand interdisciplinary research across departments, colleges and with external partners. Develop a five-year vision for the interdisciplinary topic.
  • Assemble two teams of researchers to submit large center or institute grants.
  • Partner with UW Facilities and OPB’s Office of Capital Planning Strategy to assess infrastructure available to support major research centers and new initiatives prior to grant submissions.
  • Establish best practices and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) for review and promotion of faculty who hold joint appointments with national labs and other UW units.

Second year (2023-2024)

  • Develop College PI Toolbox portal for center-level proposal support.
  • Partner with existing UW centers such as Molecular Analysis Facility (MAF), Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF), Information Technology (UWIT) and Office of Research to submit two federal infrastructure grants to maintain and grow engineering facilities.
  • Assemble four teams of researchers to submit large center or institute grants.
  • Implement best practices and MOU for review and promotion of faculty who hold joint appointments with national labs and other UW units.
   

STRATEGY 3

Augment the College’s relationships across the health sciences to accelerate solutions to critical health-care issues

FIVE-YEAR GOALS

Strategically expand cross-campus and community collaborations to advance and improve health care and health-care equity.

Craft curricular and experiential opportunities for engineering students to explore health care and to collaborate on the next generation of health-care solutions.

First year (2022-2023)

  • Launch the Institute for Medical Data Science (MDS).
  • Launch one grant on AI and MDS between the College of Engineering and local health care organizations.

Second year (2023-2024)

  • Build one partnership in socio-economically underdeveloped and/or remote areas to explore transformative health-care technologies.
  • Launch two grants between the College of Engineering and local health care organizations.
  • Develop and add one cross-listed engineering health course each year between 2023 and 2026.
  • Increase number of engineering students participating in health/medicine-related capstone design and research experiences by 20%.
  • Increase health-related industry capstone projects by 30%.
   

STRATEGY 4

Encourage and incentivize collaborations and partnerships that serve
the public good

FIVE-YEAR GOALS

Build strong relationships and partnerships with state and local governments with a focus on bridging the knowledge gap between public policy and technology.

Enhance capacity for equitable collaboration between the College and local and global communities, including building meaningful partnerships with government and community organizations.

Develop a Public Good PhD Fellowship program engaged in research with local governmental or non-governmental organizations.

Develop Public Good Faculty Fellows program engaged in curricular development, research with local governmental or non-governmental organizations.

Develop Public Good faculty Sabbatical Fellowships for one-quarter leave to work with a governmental or non-governmental organization (NGO) with a strong public good mission.

First year (2022-2023)

  • Develop a model to support at least 10 student teams engaged in capstone projects focused on the public good, such as projects in partnership with governments, community organizations or tribal communities.
  • Design an Engineering Excellence for Public Good annual student event.
  • Launch College awards for faculty working in public good.
  • Develop sustainable model for Public Good Faculty Fellows program.

Second year (2023-2024)

  • Organize public lecture or seminar series focused on the relationship between public policy and technology.
  • Identify two research or industry partnerships to form with tribal communities, NGOs or community organizations.
  • Launch at least five capstone projects with government and community organizations focused on the public good.
  • Launch Public Good Faculty Fellows program with three inaugural fellows.
  • Develop a sustainable model to fund the Sabbatical Faculty Fellowships.
  • Launch Engineering Excellence for Public Good annual student event.