Interim Dean Ronald Gibala

Ten months have passed since I became interim dean of the College of Engineering, and it's been a whirlwind experience. Although I had already chaired a department and served in other administrative capacities during my Michigan Engineering career, I had little appreciation for the complex requirements of this assignment. It turned out to be a tremendous learning experience.

Among the many things I've learned, I now understand that there's much more to the job of dean than the internal duties of the position: meeting with faculty and administrators, visiting with student groups, analyzing reports from staff, overseeing budgets and putting out fires. My external responsibilities proved to be numerous and demanding, too. But they were also highly rewarding, in great part because I had discussions with so many of you, exchanging critical information about the health and future of the College. For example, I:

• Met and talked to many of you by phone, by email and in person, from California to Florida and across Michigan
• Heard about current "real world" challenges from Michigan Engineering's Alumni
• Society Board, National Advisory Committee and Minority Engineering Program Office Advisory Council
• Toured companies run by alumni, where I discovered how technology created here at the College or in a corporate research lab is applied in successful business models

For me, the benefits of these exchanges have been, in the words of the MasterCard commercial, "priceless." Besides the sheer joy of learning, I came to appreciate how the College works to help employers, the economy and the overall quality of people's lives. I received a "reality check" about the needs and concerns of the outside world. And I made new friends.

On the other hand, I hope those of you I've met have learned about faculty research and student achievements, improved your understanding of Michigan Engineering's structure and operations and perhaps considered new ways you might get involved in the life of the College.

The University is well-known for the amount, types and methods of research that faculty members conduct. We've found that, in addition to making breakthroughs that benefit individuals and organizations, our research enriches the classroom experience. For example, faculty members who spend time away from campus investigating environmental problems might share their data with students, which in turn might inspire a student to take on a project that aims to improve the quality of our air or water.

Engaging the world outside of our campus is especially critical at a time when large organizations are being held to a higher standard of accountability for their activities. In this issue, you'll read about numerous ways that Michigan Engineering's departments and student organizations are making a difference through service beyond North Campus.

Keep in mind, despite the volume of activities you'll read about in these pages, the College is involved in many more efforts than we could print. For more information, visit the College's website: www.engin.umich.edu. I think you will find these reports educational and inspirational.

Thank you for the support that you've given me and for your continued interest in Michigan Engineering. It has been an honor to serve our engineering community.

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