By Sharron Hannon
shannon@uga.edu
More than 100 faculty from some two dozen disciplines across campus attended a day-long  symposium April 19 focused on ways to develop a comprehensive program of engineering at UGA in order to capitalize on interdisciplinary research opportunities and expand options for students.
The day began with remarks from Karen Holbrook, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, who sported a baseball cap with “UGA Engineering” across the front. While there is no need to replicate what already exists at Georgia Tech, Holbrook said, “building engineering at UGA is going to make a major difference in many disciplines. Strong science programs invariably involve engineers and engineering expertise.”
That sentiment was echoed by faculty presenters representing such diverse fields as textile and food sciences, pharmacy, ecology, veterinary medicine, computer science, marine science, business and education. All addressed ways that engineering could further research, teaching or outreach activities in their respective areas.
“We need to be very non-traditional,” said Heinz-Bernd Shuttler from physics, who cited the study of cell signaling at the nanoscale as a research area that would involve faculty from the physical and biological sciences and engineering. Shuttler proposed the creation of a center for applied interdisciplinary nanoscience, an idea that received additional attention during the day.
Pharmacy dean Svein Oie noted that a marriage of engineering with pharmaceutical sciences, biology and chemistry is needed to convert discoveries in biology and medicine into new and effective drug products and drug-delivery systems.
Royal McGraw in veterinary medicine talked about opportunities to develop new instruments to meet specific research needs and said that few, if any, are being invented, developed or manufactured in Georgia.
Biochemist Mike Adams, a member of an interdisciplinary UGA team that landed a multi-million-dollar NIH grant last year, said the group had to find external collaborators for parts of the project because “they’re doing what we’re not doing because we don’t have comprehensive engineering.”
At least one faculty member, Khaled Rasheed from the computer science department, argued that there can be drawbacks to relying solely on partnerships with programs elsewhere--including major portions of funding going elsewhere and delays in getting results. Rasheed said one project he’d been involved in with external collaborators suffered so many such delays that “we got interesting results, but too late.”
In addition to identifying engineering needs and opportunities for collaboration across disciplines, the symposium served as a networking event--with faculty exchanging notes and contact information. “I didn’t know we did that here” was a phrase heard throughout the day.
Symposium materials covered current statistics on engineering at UGA, including the fact that 45 engineering faculty hold terminal degrees in 13 engineering disciplines, while more than 110 other UGA faculty hold at least one degree in engineering.
The history of engineering at UGA dates back to the 1800s, when degrees were offered in a variety of engineering disciplines. But during the 1930s all engineering education in the state was consolidated at Georgia Tech. The sole exception was agricultural engineering, a degree program at UGA since 1928. A biological engineering degree was added here in 1993. Two nationally accredited undergraduate degrees and three graduate engineering degrees are now offered at UGA--and more than 80 engineering courses in several fields.
Though a number of faculty from biological and agricultural engineering participated in the symposium, they emphasized that building comprehensive engineering at UGA is a university, not departmental, initiative.
John Watson, a member of the National Academy of Engineering and currently a program director within the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health, spoke at lunch about current demands for a mixture of expertise that cuts across disciplines. “Engineering is not just for engineers anymore,” he said. “Biomedical engineering needs faculty in math, cell biology and other fields.”
Watson also noted that “the potential for design-directed biological research has increased dramatically”--and thus the need for engineers to be part of research teams.
Following lunch, symposium participants spent the afternoon in breakout sessions, then came back together to discuss what happens next. Working groups were formed to pursue several topic areas--from nanotechnology and sensor development to education. One group will begin to study how a faculty of engineering would be structured. Another will explore using a Web site, listserv and other means to share information about “who’s doing what.”
Brahm Verma, who chaired the symposium organizing committee, said he felt the day had been a success. “The overwhelming response of the UGA faculty, the provost’s highly encouraging opening remarks and her participation throughout the entire day are clear messages that the University of Georgia is ready to act--at all levels and now,” he said.
But the ultimate success of any effort depends on individual commitment, Dale Threadgill reminded the group before adjournment. “It takes people to move things forward.” |
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