Dean's letter – August 2026

Our researchers and students continue to push the boundaries of knowledge, advancing the technologies that can make our lives better and safer. In this newsletter, we take a look at some of the exciting work taking place at Nevada Engineering.  

Among those projects was the design and build of a heavy-lift drone that qualified for the national DARPA Lift Challenge Aug. 2-9 in Dayton, Ohio. Electrical Engineering Professor Hao Xu and his student team were invited to compete after submitting a concept paper for a drone capable of carrying a payload 3.27 times its own weight. The team represented Nevada Engineering on a national stage, and we are very proud of their work.  

Also this summer: two of our junior faculty, Assistant Professor Parikshit Maini and Assistant Professor Xingang Fu, each received an NSF CAREER Award, the National Science Foundation’s most prestigious award for early-career faculty. Grad student Alyssa Radakovich and her colleagues were the cover story of the July 2026 issue of Environmental Science & Technology Letters journal for their work on quinones. We also reported on a $2 million NIH grant awarded to Associate Professor Maryam Raeeszadeh-Sarmazdeh for her work on protein engineering.  

Research is a cornerstone of engineering, and we are committed to providing those opportunities to our undergraduates. This summer, we launched the Nevada Summer Engineering Academy, a competitive, week-long research experience for rising sophomores — those students who have completed their freshman year and will be sophomores in the fall. We are grateful to the Nevada Tech Hub for supporting this program, which significantly enriches the student experience. 

Our partners and supporters are crucial to our success as a college. This fall, Tesla will expand its partnership with Nevada Engineering by opening an on-campus office focused on student recruitment and mentorship. As outlined in our “Meet the Partner” section of this newsletter, this new endeavor seeks to open pathways to impactful careers, which aligns with our new strategic plan. 

Finally, our new strategic plan is set to debut this fall. As we have shared, this process began in fall 2025 and will include a reorganization of the college into three schools. I hope you have had a chance to view some of the stories and video we have shared to update our progress. We are excited for the future of Nevada Engineering, and are thankful for your continued support. 

Sincerely,

Dean Tom Weller
College of Engineering
University of Nevada, Reno