FROM THE DEAN
Dear Colleagues, As I reflect on my first year as the Dean of Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology at Saint Louis University, I can say that throughout the year, practically on a daily basis, I was favorably impressed in some way by our outstanding students, faculty, alumni, staff and global community of friends of the College. The final embodiment of our work is the quality of our graduates. Whether our students are flying airplanes, building bridges or designing entrepreneurial products, they are extremely passionate about what they do. They are also among the smartest, most dedicated, hardworking and community-minded students I have seen in my career. It is these attributes of our students, and the knowledge that after graduation they will continue to lead with contributing improvements to society, that compel our faculty and staff to give their best on a daily basis, and makes our work so fulfilling. PARKS today
FALL 2013
Employers tell us they value the high level of professional preparedness of our graduates. We achieve this through our hands-on research and project-based learning, which is a hallmark of a Parks College education. Parks students excel in many ways both in and out of the classroom. As you will see in this issue of Parks Today, our students are continuously pushing the boundaries and exploring new areas. This past May, we graduated our first class of civil engineering students in the 21st Century. We also awarded the first Ph.D. in Aviation in the world. You will also see many examples of how our students work side-by-side with professors on groundbreaking research. For instance as we go to press we plan to launch (in November 2013) a small satellite in conjunction with NASA, and we will report further on that achievement in future issues. Entrepreneurship is very high on the daily agenda at Parks College. With the help of the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN) we are instilling an innovative and value-inspired mindset to our students through various hands-on activities and outreach. This program is pushing our students’ minds beyond just their classical training by challenging them to think “outside the box” and plan for a future through innovation and collaborative entrepreneurship. In accordance with our strategic plan, vision and mission, we have made a long-term commitment to expanding the college’s excellence in research activities. As such, I invite you to learn more about a few of our newest faculty members. Combined they have an awe-inspiring wealth of research experience in areas from fracture mechanics, to civil and biomedical engineering. Our research is market relevant, and has and will continue to make a difference in the world. None of our work would be possible without the tremendous support of our alumni, benefactors and friends. It is because of you, and your generosity that we are able to do such great work. Thank you for your continued support, and I hope you enjoy reading this issue of Parks Today. With kindest regards
Theodosios Alexander, Sc.D. Dean Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology