Dean's Community Message

June 2, 2020

Dear College of Engineering Community,

Good afternoon. Against a backdrop of ongoing turmoil across the country, I hope you are safe. Before providing a couple updates, I wanted to share a quote from nurse and social reformer Florence Nightingale, which was submitted earlier this spring by William Bahnfleth, Professor of Architectural Engineering. “How very little can be done under the spirit of fear.” I think you will agree her quote has great relevance for today.

Here are a few updates:

Resources for Reporting Wrongdoing

The Penn State Office of Ethics and Compliance provides a suite of online resources for reporting wrongdoing. If you see something — including issues related to COVID-19 and workplace safety and compliance — please say something.

Reminder: On-Campus Lab Access

Please note that as we work through the steps to allow time-critical research that must be done on-site to gradually resume, research labs remain closed, except those previously designated as essential. We are working within the University process to get our researchers back into the labs as safely and as quickly as possible.

Remote Teaching Tip #13 – Use collaborative course tools

To engage your students online, consider making use of collaborative tools such as Google docs, Zoom Q&A features, or Canvas discussion boards to facilitate learners’ interaction and active learning. For more tips about teaching online, contact the Office for Digital Learning.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out at L-COE_CORONA_CRISIS_TEAM@engr.psu.edu. Remember, I also welcome connecting with you personally on LinkedIn and encourage you to follow the college on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. University updates, including regularly updated FAQs, are available on the Penn State Coronavirus Information site.

All the best,

Justin Schwartz
Harold and Inge Marcus Dean, College of Engineering