Dean's Community Message

September 11, 2020

Dear College of Engineering Community,

Today, we take a moment to remember those who lost their lives on this day 19 years ago. We honor the brave first responders who risked their lives for the sake of others and recognize those who continue to do so today.

Today’s quote is by Sandy Dahl, widow of Flight 93 hero, Jason Dahl:

“If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short and there is no time for hate.”

Here are today’s updates:

Recording Available: Toward Racial Equity Roundtable

On Tuesday evening, Penn State leaders, faculty members, staff, and students of color came together for a virtual roundtable discussion that was focused on their experiences within a predominately white university setting. The discussion was titled, “What Will Be the New Normal? A Conversation with Penn State Students, Faculty and Staff of Color.” If you were not able to attend this event, I encourage you to take the time to watch the recording of the discussion.

Faculty and Staff: Work from Home Needs

While performing day-to-day work tasks in a remote environment, we realize that there are engineering faculty and staff that may be in need of certain office equipment (monitors, docking stations, etc.) that they simply do not have at home. We want to ensure that all our employees have the equipment they need to effectively and efficiently do their jobs. If you are in need of equipment, please contact your supervisor for assistance, and we will make sure you get the equipment needed.

Learning Tips for Students

As students continue to navigate through this mixed mode of learning, please note that there are numerous resources to help students stay organized and adjust to this altered learning environment. The World Campus Blog is filled with tips and tricks to learning in a remote setting. The Penn State Keep Learning site offers resources for students, such as this guide to Adjusting Your Study Habits During COVID-19. The Center for Engineering Outreach and Inclusion (CEOI) is offering virtual tutoring through its Academic Excellence Center (AEC). More information can be found here.

Teaching Tip #40 – Creative ideas for your Canvas homepage

This tip is courtesy of Daniel Russell, teaching professor of acoustics, and distance education coordinator of the Graduate Program in Acoustics. You can set a Canvas page to be the default homepage for the course, and you can embed images within that page that link to almost any other part of the Canvas course as well as to outside webpages. Here is a short tutorial video created by Dr. Russell.

The College of Engineering is continuing to make progress on its facilities, including the complete renovation of the Reber Building basement. This space is currently being reconstructed into the ME Knowledge Lab, and you can watch the progress of this project here.

Remember that you can always connect with me on LinkedIn and follow the college on LinkedIn, Instagram.

Take care and have a great weekend!

Justin Schwartz
Harold and Inge Marcus Dean, College of Engineering