Teach-in Addresses September 11 Tragedy

James Wight, professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, participated in the November 8 teach-in, during which CoE faculty addressed topics of concern and interest that grew out of the September 11 tragedy.

In the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy, people had many unanswered questions about the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, terrorism in general and life in a "new age." Why did the World Trade Center collapse?  What environmental concerns are associated with the disaster?  What biological threats are we facing now?  How can we prevent such events from happening in the future?  How can members of the University community discuss these issues in classes?

To answer those questions, the CoE and the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching (CRLT) organized a teach-in to provide students, faculty and staff with answers to some of these questions. During the November 8 sessions, CoE faculty addressed topics such as structural issues in building design, airplane security, environmental cleanup, bioterrorism, and ethics in engineering.

Other units throughout the University made their own contributions to educational efforts that addressed the events of September 11. The University's Library Documents Center created a comprehensive Web site, entitled "America's War Against Terrorism: World Trade Center/Pentagon Terrorism and the Aftermath." If you're interested in learning more about the various aspects of the attacks, you can visit the site at: www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/ usterror.html.

U-M Is First Non-Chinese Academic Institution to Offer Engineering Degrees Across China

In an agreement between the College of Engineering and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), one of China's top engineering schools, the College became the first non-Chinese engineering program recognized by the Ministry of Education to offer engineering degrees across China. This agreement will allow Chinese students to take CoE courses via distance learning and ultimately earn U-M's Master of Engineering in Manufacturing (MEM) degree.

Stephen W. Director, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering, said that the University is "very proud to have been selected as the first non-Chinese university to issue degrees in China. We're pleased that we've been asked through this and other initiatives to help redefine the way China educates its next generation of engineers." Director was part of the CoE delegation that signed the agreement during a visit to China.

The College and SJTU designed the program for students with an undergraduate engineering degree and at least two years of full-time work experience in industry. Using SJTU's facilities and distance-learning technology, these students will "attend" advanced classes part-time for about three to four years. The first group of Chinese MEM candidates will start classes this summer.

CoE Adds Master's in Microsystems

The CoE expanded its graduate degree offerings with the addition of the Master of Engineering in Integrated Microsystems, an interdisciplinary program that gives students the opportunity to acquire a deep understanding of Wireless Integrated Microsystems (WIMS), MicroElectro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) and a breadth of complementary engineering disciplines. The program incorporates courses in business and management.

Stella Pang, Associate Dean for Graduate Education, said she believes that "during the next two decades such microsystems will become pervasive in society and will influence people's lives in important ways. This new Master of Engineering in Integrated Microsystems is aimed to prepare engineering students to become practitioners as professional engineers with special capabilities to understand the science and engineering appropriate for WIMS/MEMS."

A silicon-on-glass transducer wafer, one of many components that have evolved from WIMS/MEMS.

Students in the program develop skills not only in relevant engineering sciences and business but also in the teamwork that's necessary to guide the development of products and processes in the field. The students collaborate to create an interdisciplinary microsystem that, by program's end, has the potential for commercialization.

WIMS ERC Celebrates Opening of New Home

On October 31, WIMS ERC staff celebrated the renovation of its home in the Engineering Programs Building. Stephen W. Director, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering, and Dr. Larry Goldberg, Senior Engineering Advisor for the National Science Foundation, cut the ribbon for the remodeled space.

In describing the importance of the makeover, Goldberg said that it's "nice to have a home that belongs to your organization. It makes you a cohesive program. Teamwork is the one experience -- particularly for students -- that you'll come away with."

ERC director Ken Wise, J. Reid and Polly Anderson Professor of Manufacturing Technology, spoke about the Center. "This building isn't just bricks," he said. "It's about making a real difference on this planet. The program that we have is both a mandate and a challenge: to lead the world in microsystems." Wise listed several areas in which microsystems research can solve important problems: communication, healthcare and anti-terrorism efforts.

Debbie Taylor Receives Woman of the Year in Leadership Award

Debbie Taylor, assistant director of the Women in Science and Engineering Program, and director of the Women in Engineering Office, was the 2001 recipient of the Woman of the Year in Leadership Award. The Women of Color Task Force, a U-M organization devoted to women of color on staff, presented the award during a special ceremony, December 6. In her acceptance speech, Taylor said that no one "deserves such an award because of his or her own merit alone. And I'm no exception. I work with, and for, extraordinary individuals in the Women in Science and Engineering Program. I'm just one of many who could be acknowledged and honored."