Message from the Dean
Dear colleagues and students,
As summer winds down and a new school year begins, I am excited to serve as interim dean for the University of Delaware’s College of Engineering. Together, we can accelerate the college’s upward momentum in education, innovation and impact.
There’s a special feeling to the start of a school year, and I look forward to welcoming our returning students and all the new students starting this fall. We are anticipating our largest ever class of first-year students — please welcome them to our #Hengineer family. We are proud to have you join us.
You’ll see some changes across campus this fall. A two-year renovation to the Spencer Lab Design Studio will be completed, adding nearly 2,000 square feet to the hands-on facility that supports student projects and the senior design program. And, in recognition of its newest degree program, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has a new name: the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering.
Our faculty and students continue to make impressive research, education and professional development strides. Here are just a few recent accomplishments.
- Turning plastic waste into useful electrdonics.
- Keeping old clothes out of landfills.
- Improving the lives of people with limb loss.
- Changing the future of engineering education.
- Using hydrogels to heal wounds while fighting infection.
- Hosting AI hackathons to accelerate drug discovery.
- Leveraging trustworthy AI to map the ocean floor.
I look forward to working with you to grow excellence in the outstanding research and educational programs in our college.
Jamie Phillips
Interim Dean
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Jamie Phillips, Interim Dean
Tradition of Excellence
The University of Delaware (UD) has a tradition of excellence, from the founding of Alison’s academy in 1743 to our research-intensive, technologically advanced institution of today. UD offers a broad range of degree programs in its ten colleges.
The College of Engineering is home to seven academic departments devoted to building a community of problem-solvers focused on challenges associated with sustainability, energy, health care and the environment.
Our internationally recognized faculty includes named professors, National Academy of Engineering members, prestigious early career and young investigator award winners, and University teaching award recipients. Impactful initiatives led by college faculty include reducing plastic and textile waste, improving health through biopharmaceuticals, advancing artificial intelligence, protecting our increasingly digital world and innovative solutions to the complex challenges of modern life, all of which provide a fertile training ground for future engineers.
This research takes place in modern innovation spaces, such as the Ammon-Pinizzotto Biopharmaceutical Innovation Center and the FinTech Innovation Hub on UD’s STAR campus and the Patrick T. Harker Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Laboratory (Harker Lab), which houses 200,000 sq. ft. of research and teaching space, including the UD Nanofabrication Facility, on UD’s Newark campus.
Our students also learn in real-world settings through internships and co-op programs. UD’s vibrant Study Abroad program provides students the opportunity to study around the globe while student organizations provide community, professional development and the opportunity to give back through real-world projects.
Strategic partnerships with industry, government and academic institutions complement these initiatives, expanding the college’s reach and cultivating a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration, leadership and entrepreneurship among future engineers. Our graduates are leaders in academia and industry alike.