Dean's Community Message

July 28, 2020

Dear College of Engineering Community,

As engineers, we certainly recognize situations that call for solutions even in the face of substantial uncertainty. Today’s quote from Rear Admiral Wayne E. Meyer — submitted by engineering alumnus and former Penn State Engineering Alumni Society president Dale Hoffman — speaks to the criticality of this engineering mindset, especially as complexity grows. Meyer led development of the Navy’s Aegis Combat System in the 1970s and his philosophy was: “Build a little, test a little, learn a lot.” With the start of the fall semester now less than a month away — a semester that will be unique in almost every conceivable way — how can you apply this approach to your experience as a student, faculty, or staff member in the college?

Here are today’s updates:

Lab Updates: Engineering Campus Activity Tracker

Within the Labs section of the Engineering Campus Activity Tracker (ECAT), a “Request an update to a lab” form has been added. Users can now request changes to existing ECAT lab requests. Note that Facilities and Safety staff in the college coordinate the lab change request review and approval process to ensure occupancy and safety requirements are met and maintained. Similar to other return-to-research requests, the dean has final approval authority. As a reminder, those authorized for onsite research activity must complete the college’s return-to-research training along with the necessary acknowledgements in ECAT.

Engineering Staff Virtual Town Hall

As a reminder, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. on Monday, August 10, the college will host a virtual town hall focused on staff questions and concerns. Please submit your questions in advance by Monday, August 3, at 5:00 p.m. Along with me, panelists will include Anthony Atchley, Matt Zerphy, and Angela Pope.

University Virtual Town Hall

Penn State President Eric Barron, along with other University leaders, will host a virtual Town Hall event at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 30, to provide updates and discuss plans for the start of fall semester. The event will be shown on LiveEvents.psu.edu, and will be archived and online for later viewing. The panel will cover a range of topics, including plans for symptomatic and asymptomatic testing, surveillance and contact tracing; student requirements; campus safety protocols; data sharing; and return to work and return to research.

Back to State Lunch & Learn Reminder

The University’s webinar series to help Penn State instructors and staff prepare to support students this fall began yesterday and will continue through August 14. The Countdown to Fall: Student Support and Engagement Series will be delivered daily via Zoom, from noon to 1:00 p.m. Attendees do not need to register in advance. The Penn State Keep Teaching website lists the schedule of webinars, as well as recordings of past webinars.

Teaching Tip #29 – Resources for Faculty Teaching In-Person Mode

If your class will be taught in-person this fall, check the keep teaching site in-person page for resources, webinars and FAQs about this instructional mode. For additional resources, contact the Office for Digital Learning for assistance.

All the best!

Justin Schwartz
Harold and Inge Marcus Dean, College of Engineering