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Dayton Engineer

Engineering a Strategic Plan

By Karen Updyke, School of Engineering

The University of Dayton School of Engineering had a momentous year in 2015. Since 1911, engineering alumni have generated advances and contributions to the world from the development of motion pictures, created by Joe Pesce ’28, to the development of the overhead projector, created by Roman Shoenherr ’56. Throughout the years, our faculty, staff, students and alumni have changed the world.

Fast forward to the year 2015: Dean Eddy Rojas’ leadership establishes the School of Engineering’s Strategic Plan. The cutting-edge, five-year plan presents a bright future for the School. Dean Rojas welcomed representation and participation from all constituents: Students, faculty, staff and alumni as well as individuals from business and government. A diverse group attended the School’s strategic planning sessions, and their hard work culminated in the School’s Strategic Plan. The uniquely devised plan follows the School’s educational values while living out the School’s five values: community, innovation, excellence, engagement, and service.

The Plan established the School's vision, mission and divided the implementation into the following three goals:  

  • Promote a Dynamic Educational Environment: provide stakeholders with a forum to express diverse opinions in a safe environment of dialogue, debate, reflection, and strategic thinking. We learn through experience and experimentation, and we incorporate what we learn into our day-to-day operations. The School of Engineering seeks to constantly adapt to changing realities by embracing system thinking and holistic review. In the spirit of continuous improvement and in pursuit of excellence, we are dedicated to providing the highest value to the students, employers, alumni, colleagues, and industrial and governmental partners who place their trust in the University of Dayton.
  • Cultivate Transformational Learning Experiences: committed to the pedagogy of experiential learning in which active engagement is intrinsic to our students’ experience, and education integrates high-impact activities within an authentic, inclusive, and intercultural context. Experiential learning kindles curiosity, provides opportunities for interdisciplinary scholarship, develops leaders, promotes community engagement, stimulates social and global awareness, sparks entrepreneurship, and fosters a collaborative spirit. This situated learning — embedded in activities guided by faculty and staff — is a signature element of our students’ educational experience. Such immersion in research, in industry, and in our domestic and global communities extends the classroom to the world.
  • Advance Programs and Research that Will Serve and Inspire the World: committed to being an agent of change for our stakeholders, our community, and our world. We partner with external leaders to identify the skills, values, and vision that will best equip our students to address tomorrow’s changing needs and to become the innovators of the future. Our programs and research continue to evolve to address the rapidly transforming challenges of the world and to develop adaptive, creative students who are owners of their educational experiences.

Dean Rojas began implementation immediately by naming the following School of Engineering faculty and staff to new positions: Margie Pinnell, Associate Dean for Faculty and Staff Development; Scott Segalewitz, Associate Dean for Experiential Learning and Student Success; Bob Wilkens, Associate Dean for Research and Innovation; Laura Bistrek, Director of Diversity in Engineering Center; Ken Bloemer, Director of Visioneering Center; Rebecca Blust, Director of Innovation Center; Nancy Chase, Director of Cooperative Education; Malcolm Daniels, Director of the ETHOS Center; Teri Stemley, Assistant to the Dean; Jill Morgan, Program Manager of the ETHOS Center; and Michelle Strunks, Manager of Student Success.

In addition to the plan, the team worked on dramatic changes to the interior of the Eugene W. Kettering Laboratory building to showcase our engineering educational advancements.

Next Post

The Kern Entrepreneurial Engineering Network 2015 Outstanding Dean Award

Named dean of the University of Dayton School of Engineering in July 2014 following a national search, Dr. Eddy Rojas brought to the University a background in administration, teaching and research. At the 2016 KEEN Winter Conference in Tempe, Arizona, January 4-6, our very own, Dean Rojas, was selected to be the recipient of the 2015 KEEN Outstanding Dean Award!
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