College of Engineering Strategic Plan

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Strategic Plan: Dream boldly. Engineer what's next.

Strategic Plan 2026 – 31

Mission and vision

Our mission is to educate and prepare engineers and computing professionals with strong intellectual foundations and deep practical experience; to advance research and scholarship spanning foundational, interdisciplinary and applied inquiry; and to create solutions that serve Nevada, contribute nationally and benefit society.

Our vision: Nevada Engineering will be a leader in creating economic opportunity and transformation, preparing graduates with distinctive career-ready experience, and translating research into solutions that benefit Nevada and beyond.

Nevada Engineering is the University of Nevada, Reno College of Engineering: a collaborative, student-centered and research-driven academic community that educates engineers, advances use-inspired and interdisciplinary research and serves as a driver of innovation and economic impact.

Guiding principles:

• Student success through intellectual rigor: providing strong disciplinary foundations, critical thinking skills and experiential learning
• Excellence in research scholarship and creativity: pursuing impactful research to advance knowledge, inform practices and address today’s challenges
• Innovation, entrepreneurship and responsible impact: Valuing innovation and translating ideas that benefit the economy, society and the environment
• Collaboration and professional integrity: Fostering a collaborative, respectful and accountable culture throughout the College of Engineering
• Transformational leadership for Nevada and beyond: embracing continuous improvement and advancing regional and national economic resilience

Strategic plan pillars

The strategic plan has four pillars: Student Success, Strength of Community, Innovative Research and Economic Impact.

Pillar 1: Student Success

Educate and support students to thrive academically, professionally and personally, from entry through lifelong careers.

Strategic goals:

• Integrate strong academic foundations with hands-on experience, leading to timely degree completion and successful career progression.
• Expand access to personalized mentoring and advising, supporting student-faculty engagement and student confidence in professional readiness.
• Grow enrollment while maintaining access to faculty, advising, research opportunities and co-curricular programs.

Pillar 2: Strength of Community

Cultivate a welcoming Nevada Engineering community where students, faculty, staff, alumni and partners are valued and empowered to connect, contribute and succeed.

Strategic goals:

• Create a welcoming community in which students, faculty and staff feel a strong sense of belonging, connection and shared purpose, contributing to higher engagement, retention and satisfaction across all roles.
• Collaborate across the University of Nevada, Reno and with industry, regional and state partners to advance economic growth, sustainability and public service.

Pillar 3: Innovative Research

Advance knowledge through use-inspired, interdisciplinary inquiry that addresses societal, technical and economic challenges.

Strategic goals:

• Build a national reputation for impactful, use-inspired, interdisciplinary research aligned with regional and national needs.
• Scale up research outcomes that include externally funded centers, collaborative programs, widely cited publications and technologies advancing knowledge and practice.
• Promote student success across all levels through participation in the research and development enterprise.

Pillar 4: Economic impact

Position Nevada Engineering as a sustained driver of innovation-based economic growth.

Strategic goals:

• Advance economic growth for Nevada by preparing a skilled workforce, fostering entrepreneurship and contributing to technology development.
• Generate economic value through growth in patents, startups, industry partnerships and applied solutions that address regional and national priorities.
• Play a trusted role in Nevada’s innovation ecosystem, aligning education, research, and partnerships to help close gaps in R&D capacity and enterprise formation.

Nevada Engineering Initiatives

Initiatives taken to accomplish strategic goals are listed under related pillars.

Pillar 1: Student Success initiatives

• Commit to the lifelong professional success of Nevada Engineering students through real-world, hands-on experiences.
• Increase retention, progression and professional self-efficacy outcomes.
• Continuously improve academic program quality and ensure scalability with enrollment.

Pillar 2: Strength of Community initiatives

• Build and sustain a welcoming Nevada Engineering community grounded in shared identity and purpose.
• Establish a framework to coordinate and sustain community engagement.
• Expand interdisciplinary and cross-sector partnerships that advance education, research, innovation, economic growth, sustainability and public service.
• Institutionalize recognition and professional growth practices that strengthen connection, fulfillment and shared success.

Pillar 3: Innovative Research initiatives

• Achieve national recognition for impactful, interdisciplinary research excellence.
• Expand research productivity, external funding, innovation and societal impact.
• Engage students in research and innovation to prepare future innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders.

Pillar 4: Economic Impact initiatives

• Create a structure to guide, track and recognize success in growing the economic impact of Nevada Engineering.
• Facilitate events and programs that bring the innovation community together.
• Institutionalize incentives and rewards for innovation and entrepreneurship.