Woodruff School 2023-2030 Strategic Plan

Strategic Plan 2023-2030 Inclusive Excellence

Message from the Chair It is with great pride that I present the new strategic plan for the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. This plan will guide our initiatives through 2030, positioning us as a studentcentered, research-focused, and service-oriented community recognized for its outstanding education, the development of leaders, and the creation of innovative technological solutions that improve society and the human condition.

Over years of discussions and in close coordination with the Institute’s strategic plan, we have identified a new mission statement, aspiring vision, and actionable goals and objectives across three key focus areas: student success, research preeminence, and community and culture.

It has been an honor to work with members of the planning committee in developing the Woodruff School’s new strategic plan – a plan that will drive us to strengthen our impact locally, nationally, and globally as we achieve a culture of Inclusive Excellence.

Best Regards, Devesh Ranjan Eugene C. Gwaltney, Jr. School Chair and Professor

Woodruff School Strategic Planning Committee Co-Chairs: Kyriaki Kalaitzidou, Min Zhou Members: Nazanin Bassiri-Gharb, Levent Degertekin, Alper Erturk, Andrei Fedorov, Craig Forest, Stephen Fuller, Nolan Hertel, Amit Jariwala, Surya Kalidindi, Devesh Ranjan, Susan Thomas, Wayne Whiteman, Shannon Yee

Who We Are Mission The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering is an inclusive, innovative, and thriving educational and research environment committed to fostering the next generation of intellectually curious and globally engaged leaders who are empowered to create solutions to society’s most challenging problems and dedicated to improving the human condition.

Vision The Woodruff School will be a student-centered, research-focused, and service-oriented community recognized for its outstanding education, the development of leaders, and the creation of innovative technological solutions that improve society and the human condition. We will embrace the diversity of our collaborative community, the foundational principles of engineering and science, and ethical behavior as we achieve a culture of inclusive excellence.

Who We Are Core Values Student-Centeredness Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belongingness Innovation for Societal Impact

Service Excellence Collaboration Thought Leadership Integrity

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Statement In the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, our commitment to developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition is guided by our core values. The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council of faculty, staff and students was established to ensure this commitment. A culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion is core to the School. The breadth of our discipline and its potential for societal impact can only be fully realized by, and in turn benefit from, fostering and growing the diversity and equitable treatment of our community and promoting inclusive engagement among our members. We are devoted to enhancing and celebrating the diversity of our people, ideas, experiences, and perspectives that make up our School. Our diversity is what makes us stronger as a whole.

Throughout our journey in working toward our mission, we devote our work to ensuring our School is a place where every individual feels welcome and belongs, differences are celebrated, a variety of perspectives are heard and respected, and various ideas further contribute to our progress and service. We are dedicated to challenging and responding to any issues that may contradict our core values of diversity, equity and inclusion, including bias, harassment, and discrimination. The diversity of our students, faculty, and staff is the cornerstone of our culture and will remain a foundation of our future achievements.

Top-Ranked Programs

No. 2

Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Program (U.S. News & World Report)

Goal #2

No. 4

Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program (U.S. News & World Report)

No. 9

Nuclear Engineering Graduate Program (U.S. News & World Report)

A leading producer of graduate degrees in women

Degrees

The Woodruff School offers: 2 B.S. Degrees 7 M.S. Degrees 6 Ph.D. Degrees Cutting-Edge Research: Acoustics and Dynamics; AI, Informatics for ME (AI2ME); Automation, Robotics and Control; Bioengineering; Computer-Aided Engineering and Design; Fluid Mechanics; Heat Transfer, Combustion, and Energy Systems; Manufacturing; Mechanics of Materials; Medical Physics; Micro & Nano Engineering; Nuclear and Radiological Engineering; Tribology Faculty and Staff: 95 Tenure-Track Faculty 81 Staff 17 Research Faculty 15 Non-Tenure Track Faculty Competition Teams EcoCar; GT Motorsports; GT OffRoad; GT Solar Racing; HyTech Racing; RoboJackets; Wreck Racing

Focus Area: Student Success Goal #1 Build a stronger community that empowers students to succeed and make an impact – locally, nationally, and globally.

Objectives: • Provide a support system to our students by developing cohort, alumni, and corporate mentorship programs, promoting global engagement through study abroad programs, increasing academic support services, and hosting career and culture-building activities.

• In partnership with the vice president for student engagement and well-being, cultivate the academic well-being of our community by increasing health and wellness resources.

• Expand access to our programs by increasing scholarships and fellowships for first-generation, underrepresented minority, and women students.

Goal #2 Reimagine the mechanical engineering/nuclear and radiological engineering curriculum to provide students with a transformative learning experience.

Objectives: • Increase innovation in the curriculum by integrating new methods in data science for solving engineering problems, enhancing exposure to ethics throughout the curriculum, and introducing societal challenge topics within specific required classes of the curriculum.

• Support flexibility and creativity by promoting entrepreneurial and commercialization opportunities.

• Grow experiential learning opportunities by creating a physical learning environment to facilitate collaboration of undergraduate students on course work.

• Provide a flexible and tailorable educational program to suit both individual student needs and accommodate a changing world.

Focus Area: Research Preeminence Goal #1 Break new ground in defining and addressing the biggest research challenges of our time for a sustainable future.

Objectives: • Discover and apply new knowledge in mechanical engineering and nuclear and radiological engineering by conducting trans-disciplinary, cutting-edge research and enhancing our research enterprise.

• Develop innovative solutions for social justice and health disparity by addressing the barriers faced by all people, especially those with marginalized backgrounds.

• Lead the world in research by identifying, creating, and nurturing new and emerging fields.

Goal #2 Collaborate with other departments, centers, universities, labs, and companies to transform and improve the lives of others in the state, nation, and world.

Objectives: • Improve the human condition locally by leveraging the growing technological ecosystem in Atlanta and across the country and world by partnering with select national labs and industrial consortia.

• Create new partnership opportunities at the School by developing a scholars-in-residence program for visiting personnel.

• Expand the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the School by growing corporate partnerships and leveraging resources to support student and scholar-led start-ups.

Focus Area: Community and Culture Goal #1 Enhance diversity and equity in the School to ensure students, staff, and faculty of all backgrounds receive what they need to thrive.

Objectives: • Recruit diverse students, staff, and faculty and retain members of our community by creating opportunities for career development and advancement.

• Support students, staff, and faculty in their endeavors nurturing individual well-being.

• Expand access to financial resources through awards to students, staff, and faculty in support of diversity, equity, and inclusion projects and initiatives.

• Recognize and celebrate academic and professional successes of our community members.

Goal #2 Develop and sustain an inclusive learning and working environment to foster a sense of belonging for all members of the community.

Objectives: • Ensure each student, staff, and faculty feel valued by practicing inclusive leadership.

• Build a community by facilitating social interactions, becoming better acquainted with each other, and creating a safe space for all to be authentic and reach their potential.

• Improve cultural awareness by implementing implicit bias training for our students, staff, and faculty.

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