Global themes define our research

From the beginning of time, humans have relied on research and innovation to advance society. Potable water once came from the closest stream. Later on, early engineers built aqueducts to carry water from its source into cities and, eventually, into our homes.

In recent times, the pace of research and innovation has accelerated in a way that early engineers never imagined. In the 20th century we saw wide-spread use of electricity, engines, airplanes, computers and we even traveled to the moon. Such amazing feats are the result of work by teams of engineers tackling sophisticated global challenges.

Here at the College of Engineering, research and innovation underline everything we do. Students in our classrooms learn by studying the research of experts. They then conduct their own experiments and the results advance the field. Our faculty direct labs that solve real problems. We research and innovate, together.

Contemporary challenges are increasingly being solved by multidisciplinary teams that cross academic departments and colleges. We understand that collaboration is a powerful way of solving 21st century problems, so the college is organizing research around seven global themes. Each one draws faculty and students from across the University to investigate and solve the global challenges we all face.

One team is improving human lives through research in the biomedical field. Another is working to protect our computer networks from an attack that could devastate America. Yet another group is looking for better ways to power our computers, homes, businesses and cars.

We can also build you a better home, car or even battleship thanks to our research on advanced materials and structures. We can apply our research in nanotechnology toward creating composite materials, self-assembling particles and innovative drug delivery systems. Meanwhile, our work in sensors and instrumentation ensures that everything works just as the engineer ordered.

And yes, we’re even building the next-generation water supply and treatment technologies, just as the ancient Romans did centuries ago. Our research is bringing clean water to remote villages in Guatemala and treating water from industrial plants here in the United States.

In this special edition of Innovations, we highlight a selection of our research focus areas and provide a taste of the innovative cross-disciplinary work already happening.

Raymond M. Wright, Ph.D., P.E.