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DEAN’S PERSPECTIVE
Welcome to our latest issue of InSights. I can hardly believe we are at the beginning of our first fall semester! It feels right to take some time to reflect on what’s been a busy and productive year. We’re proud of all that we’ve accomplished: the student awards earned, grant proposals submitted, graduate students supervised and outreach events. We’re grateful for the teaching, research, advising and service of our faculty, and we succeed at this work thanks to the many efforts of our administrative, technical operations and support staff: they truly make everything we do possible.
Here are a few highlights:
Improving student success
• We have shepherded our largest class of seniors ever toward the finish line at Project Expo on May 27, where we saw some incredible senior design projects.
• Weareanticipating400incomingfreshmenandSTEP(SummerTransitiontoECSTProgram) is at the ready to help prepare them for the rigors of their ECST college experience.
• TheNationalScienceFoundation–BOOST(BridgeOpportunitiesOfferedforSophomore Transition) grant has implemented a service learning class for rising sophomores that will continue into the summer.
• The FYrE@ECST will continue into the fall, as will our ENGR 1500 course for about 160 new students. Our new Golden Eagle Flight Plan advising platform will continue to improve with FYrE students next year.
• TobolsteroursupportofstudentsbothduringandaftertheirtimeatECST,we’reexcited to have a new ECST Placement Coordinator on board who will be focused on enhancing student opportunities for internships and post-graduation employment.
• Similarly,ournewgraduateprogramcoordinatorwillprovidegraduatestudentswiththe additive support they deserve, from admissions through advising and integration at ECST.
• Inpreparationforsemesterconversion,departmentchairsandcoordinators,alongwith the Advising Task Force, worked hard to ensure students were able to register for fall classes and offer support as students navigate this change.
Supporting faculty and staff excellence
Emily Allen, Ph.D.
I’m excited to announce we will be welcoming nine new tenure-track faculty members to our college! With these new faculty and other welcome additions joining our community, we’re looking for ways to support our growth. Our aim is to create physical spaces that are conducive to collaboration and can spark innovation and increase learning opportunities for all. We have formed a Space Task Force with the charge of visiting all of our buildings, observing the current usage and reconciling it with the usage recorded in our building inventory. These efforts will help us to make informed decisions moving forward on how best to utilize and maximize the space we have.
I would also like to recognize the many members of our faculty who have helped secure external grants this year. These grants are essential in helping our faculty and students engage in research and enriching our curricula and student experience.
Building community engagement
Beyond ECST, students and faculty performed many hours of service and outreach to K-12 students and community groups, particularly in East Los Angeles. We also hosted a Transfer Student Workshop with our colleagues from local community colleges.
In closing, I am awed by the talent, dedication, commitment and passion I see in our college. As Dean, you have my full commitment to support ECST’s evolution and ongoing progress, to ensure our college is one you can continue to take pride in and enthusiastically stand behind.
Warmly,
Emily Allen, Ph.D.
Dean
College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology
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