Message from the Dean
Dean’s List | Highest Honors, High Honors, Top Students, Straight “A” Students | Graduates
I am Devdas Shetty, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), and I am pleased to congratulate you on your achievements. It is also my pleasure to welcome students, families and faculty of SEAS to the video acknowledgement of honors and achievements of our students. The Covid-19 crisis we confront today is not a localized experience, but a crisis of global proportion. The crisis has also pointed out to us the nature of close ties between the people of the world. I am thankful that our SEAS students, faculty and staff have faced the challenges boldly; adjusting to the new normal.
We all know that the fields of Computer Science and Engineering are transforming the world–in ways never seen before. I am sure you will agree with me that the advancements made in the previous decades, the pace of change and innovation is now accelerating at an exponential rate. Engineers and Computer Scientists are faced with the biggest challenge facing our society. As UDC students and graduates, it will be you, who will be solving vexing climate change problems, work on alternative energy sources, healthcare and design new tools of internet of things or Industry 4.0.
During this academic year, we continued the progress in achieving national recognition in the field of Engineering and Computer Science through student work, faculty research, curriculum innovation and grants. We started three new programs namely, Master’s in Civil Engineering, Master’s in Mechanical Engineering and Ph.D. in the different areas of engineering and also in Computer Science.
We received research grants worth more than $30 million and established national centers with National Science Foundation and NSF Center for Nanotechnology Research and Education https://www.udc.edu/seas/cnre/; NASA Manufacturing in Space Technology & Research (CAM-STAR) https://www.udc.edu/seas/camstar/. We also had a major partnership with National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST-PREP) https://www.udc.edu/seas/nist-prep/). Many of you had great opportunities to work with community problems, national competitions, federal research, industry sponsored collaboration.
Your achievements in the realms of Scholarship, Leadership and Community Service are recognized. A function such as this is a wonderful way for our school and community to recognize and celebrate the choices, and sometimes the sacrifices, you have made. But I believe that what should make you and your parents the proudest, is not the actual honor itself, but what you had to do to get it. You have also become the newest ambassadors of UDC, and we are very proud to have you represent UDC in the world.
Devdas Shetty, Ph.D., P.E.
Dean/Professor of Mechanical Engineering
University of the District of Columbia
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
devdas.shetty@udc.edu