Letter from the Dean

Friends and colleagues,

This is an exciting time for our College of Engineering. We’re on the cusp of a period of expansion and change. We also have much to celebrate as we look back on the past year.

After years of anticipation and a generous $36 million gift from the Gillemot Foundation, the Aerospace Engineering program is expected to begin in Fall 2025. As many of you know, launching a new program is a process that involves intense planning and multiple sets of approvals. I am happy to report that we are nearing the end of that phase. As a result, we soon will be able to offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering. Please see our feature story for more on this program and what it means to students like Katelyn Rovig, who will be able to pursue an aerospace engineering degree in-state.

Other new developments for our College: the Nanofabrication Lab, which will provide faculty and students access to a suite of lithography, deposition and etch systems used to make devices for semiconductors, photonics and microelectromechanical systems, will open this spring in the Davidson Foundation Cleanroom. In addition, a master’s degree in robotics will be offered beginning fall 2025. 

We also are in the process of hiring a new dean. A search committee has selected four finalist candidates who will be here for on-campus interviews in late March/early April. We hope to have a new leader for our College named this summer. While I am proud to serve this dynamic and growing College as interim dean, I look forward to fresh ideas and perspectives that can come with a change in leadership.

At this pivotal time, I also want to celebrate the accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students. They truly make the College what it is: a vibrant hub for education and research. This magazine shares some of their stories, from novel research to professional accomplishments.

Last, please know that we appreciate and value the support of our partners. You can find some of their stories in these pages, but there are many more. Thank you to all who have given your time, expertise and funding our common endeavor, the College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Sincerely,

Indira Chatterjee
Interim Dean, College of Engineering