AS ONE IN FIVE OF you knows firsthand, retirement is great. In my case, a heavy travel schedule, adjunct teaching assignments and ten grandchildren kept me plenty busy. Yet, I was still in charge of my schedule. But when presented with a once in a lifetime opportunity to lead one of the world's premier technological institutions, I had to change my plans.

Many people have asked me what, if anything, I will aim to accomplish during my limited time as interim dean. My response is that I am treating this role like the fifth year of a five-year term. I will do whatever I can during the next several months to leave the College even better than the superb position in which I found it.

This year, we will make progress on many fronts. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have intensified public- and private-sector concerns about U.S. energy and environmental challenges. The College will soon announce details of a bold University-wide initiative in these areas. Students and faculty will transition into new lab and classroom spaces for our Department of Biomedical Engineering and our Computer Science and Engineering Division. These facilities will provide opportunities for exciting discoveries in these increasingly important sectors of our society. Michael E. Wider, our recently named Director of Industry Research Relations, will help us identify research in these areas and many others throughout the College that can be transferred to industry. He will help us to develop industrial partnerships and generate research contracts between faculty and companies. Also, we will act on plans to improve the first-year student experience, faculty support and internal communications.

Of course, in this challenging budget period, during which the State of Michigan's portion of the College's 2005-06 operating budget has now declined to only 6 percent, we must focus also on demonstrating clearly to you how every alumni gift makes a difference.

How did I know that one in five of you is retired? Earlier this year, the College commissioned Campbell Rinker, a California-based, market- research firm specializing in non-profit institutions, to survey many of you online. More than 2,200 of you participated. We listened.

The results provided us useful information that we are using in many ways to improve the way we communicate with you. Thank you for your input. For example, you will note in this issue more content about undergraduate students and more research stories. We've also made more explicit the opportunities for you to connect with us and the realities of our need for your financial support. Although three out of five of you who receive other universities' publications rate Michigan Engineering publications better, we are committed to continual improvement.

The feature story of this issue of Michigan Engineer is also about adapting to change. The College remains a top choice of student "leaders and best" because we remain at the forefront of technological progress. Likewise, today's educational experience at the College incorporates a multitude of new technologies. We hope you will enjoy reading about how students and faculty are finding new ways to exchange ideas and create knowledge. The cover illustration for the feature was created by Evan Fulford, a senior student in Mechanical Engineering - proof that engineers have many hidden talents.

I look forward to meeting and working with you throughout this year. Thank you for your interest in the future of Michigan Engineering.

Ronald Gibala
Interim Dean College of Engineering
L.H. and F.E. Van Vlack Professor Emeritus Department of Materials Science and Engineering