By Sharron Hannon
shannon@uga.edu
Faculty interested in exploring ways to advance comprehensive engineering at UGA will have an  opportunity to come together April 19.
A day-long interdisciplinary symposium has been scheduled at the State Botanical Garden with the goal of identifying new opportunities for interaction between faculty currently involved in engineering activities and those in related fields.
The gathering is an outgrowth of conversations initiated over the past 18 months by Brahm Verma and Dale Threadgill, both of the department of biological and agricultural engineering in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.
“I’ve met with colleagues throughout the university,” says Verma, “and asked them to think about one question: In what dimension is your discipline unable to grow for lack of comprehensive engineering on campus?”
Getting that question answered and figuring out what to do about it is the agenda of the April 19 symposium, he says.
As the university’s strategic plan was being developed, Verma and Threadgill proposed that comprehensive engineering be one of the issues addressed. They drafted a proposal that can be viewed online at the strategic plan Web site (www.uga.edu/strategicplanning). Based on UGA strengths and state needs, the proposal envisions six example themes from which many programs could be developed: metabolic engineering, biochemical engineering, ecological engineering, marine engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and pharmaceutical engineering.
But other potential collaborations and themes could be identified at the April 19 symposium, Verma says. “We’re in a unique position to create something new and exciting because we’re not encumbered by restrictions or boundaries of an existing college of engineering.”
Faculty from several departments organized the symposium. To make sure a wide range of views are included, more than a dozen presenters, representing as many disciplines, have been invited to give their perspectives on the advancement of engineering at UGA. Afternoon breakout sessions will give all participants a chance to offer input.
“What we want to do is open lines of communication between engineering and non-engineering faculty,” says Harry Dailey, a microbiologist and biochemist who serves on the organizing committee. “We want to get together people with different backgrounds but potentially common goals that wouldn’t be achievable without collaboration.”
Dailey says his own field provides ready examples of the benefits of such collaborations. The development of specialized tools for medical diagnosis and treatment would not be possible without an interface between biological sciences and engineering, he notes.
Participation in the symposium is limited to about 60 faculty. Registration forms are accessible from the symposium Web site (www.faculty.engr.uga.edu). Information and materials developed from the symposium will be posted online in order to be available to a wider audience.
“An important part of the day will be to identify how we can accomplish goals with existing resources or find external collaborators and funding sources,” says Verma. |
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