Korean leaders from SK Telecom visit the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering and ASU’s Decision Theater which consists of an interactive 3D immersive environment built with cutting-edge graphics technologies.

Nothing encourages introspection quite like a milestone anniversary.

After becoming one of the largest engineering schools in the country, and achieving rankings among the top 10 percent of accredited U.S. engineering schools, the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering at its 50th anniversary found itself pondering: what next?

Looking to the future, the school has crafted a blueprint for building a truly unique engineering school – one that serves as the model for engineering schools in the future. Over the next five years, the school will focus on innovation and discovery, creating solutions to grand challenge problems facing society.

The National Academy of Engineering states that “…the century ahead poses challenges as formidable as any from millennia past. As the population grows and its needs and desires expand, the problem of sustaining civilization’s continuing advancement, while still improving the quality of life, looms more immediate.”

The school of engineering is committed to addressing society’s challenges in the areas of biological and human systems, sustainability, energy, security and defense, education, information and physical infrastructure, and exploration. The creative activities of both faculty and students will be focused on solving these challenges, and the primary measure of the school’s success will be the societal impact of these efforts.

To pursue these goals, the school will attract new faculty and students who share this vision. Academic programs will emphasize recruitment and retention of a diverse student population, and the school will hire 100 new faculty members over the next five years.

The school’s nationally ranked undergraduate program is undergoing a rapid transformation to better match with the skills, interests and preferred learning styles of incoming students. The more than 1,000 graduates the school produces each year will help to address the projected shortage of engineers in the U.S. A new engineering curriculum will be designed and implemented, ensuring that students graduate prepared for impactful careers. They will be innovative, aware of the societal impact of their actions, and capable of competing and collaborating in a global environment. Students will be prepared for success as the challenging curriculum is further enhanced by a wide range of practical experience options.

The new curriculum will incorporate the National Academy of Engineering’s “Engineer 2020” attributes, including: strong analytical skills; practical ingenuity; creativity; good communication; business and management skills; leadership skills; high ethical standards; professionalism; dynamism, agility, resilience and flexibility; global awareness; and life-long learners.
Included in the curriculum will be opportunities for global, entrepreneurial, research, and professional work experiences for all students. Courses will include problem-based learning and integrative experiences that span the entire undergraduate years. Integrative elements will include disciplines such as systems engineering, economics, ethics, business, sustainability and informatics.

Freshman courses will excite and engage students in engineering utilizing innovative delivery methods that leverage new technologies and effective learning strategies. Students will be required to perform professionally oriented community work for a specified number of hours before degree completion.

To achieve its overall goals, the school will continue to partner with investors who wish to provide support for its vision, generating the resources needed to fuel this transformation. With the support of individuals and others who are excited by this plan, the school is poised to make this vision a reality.

Ultimately, these efforts will result in a doubling of the school’s research enterprise, increased external support for student programs, and increased recognition of the school’s quality and uniqueness. The model engineering school of tomorrow is being built here now, and the future looks bright.