Dr. Dale Threadgill, Founding Dean (Interim)
Welcome to the College of Engineering, the newest college at the University of Georgia. The University’s strategic plan for the first decade of the 21st century identified comprehensive engineering as a priority initiative for the first state-chartered public university in the U.S. Dedicated pursuit of the goals of that strategic plan by a committed faculty and administration culminated in the launch of the new College of Engineering on July 1, 2012. That is indeed a historic day and event for the University and the state of Georgia.
As a new college without departmental boundaries, we will provide a dynamic and entrepreneurial academic environment for responding to the complex issues of the future. We believe that a strong background in the arts and humanities is a fundamental complement to the engineering sciences, and so have created a unique network of academic units and individuals across the University to integrate engineering academic programs, research and outreach with other fields of study. Ours is a new take on a new idea, one that reaches into the complex issues of the future by leveraging the tradition of liberal arts education with leading-edge science, technology and design at the confluence of disciplines.
The College was formed by merging the University’s two engineering academic units, the Faculty of Engineering and the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, into a single engineering academic unit with a comprehensive offering of eight bachelors and seven graduate engineering degree programs. From a combined Fall 2011 enrollment in those two former academic units of 550 undergraduate and 50 graduate students, the College of Engineering projects a Fall 2015 enrollment of 1,250 undergraduate and 95 graduate students.
The societal-wide issues and challenges that once fell outside of the purview of traditional engineering disciplines are now in the crosshairs of the brightest young minds on our campus. In forging a new path for engineering, we have taken the responsibility to learn as we lead, to chart our direction with a new model and to nurture a collaborative atmosphere toward the greater good.
The essence of our unique approach shapes everything we do in fulfilling engineering’s strategic role at the University of Georgia – strengthening UGA’s ability to capture opportunities and meet the needs of Georgia. We invite your participation and support in serving the future of our fellow citizens and the world in this critical endeavor.
E. Dale Threadgill, P.E.
