From ITLL to the New Coleman Institute, College Achieves Success in Many Ways (continued)

Dean Ross B. Corotis

So it has been rewarding — and fun. I would not have left my endowed professorship and position as associate dean at The Johns Hopkins University to come to Colorado if the college had not been great in 1994. Nor would I be retiring as dean and accepting an endowed professorship here in 2001 if it weren't even better.

Personal highlights of the last seven years include being honored with the college's Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award in the special category and being elected to the Executive Board of the Engineering Deans Council for our country. But, most of all, it has been fun working with the best deans' office staff and associate deans one could imagine, and sharing our success with the greatest alumni, friends, foundation, and corporate leaders.

During the last seven years, the number of faculty in the college has increased from 154 to more than 170. The number of undergraduates has reached an all-time high of more than 2,500. The number of graduate students has stabilized around 1,100, while research awards and expenditures of the faculty set a record. The college endowment has quadrupled to more than $60 million, and our campaign goal was reached before the university even announced the campaign.

More important and exciting than these numbers, however, is the national recognition the college has garnered for its leadership role in educational reform and the melding of education and research. "One of the finer learning environments on the planet," the Hewlett-Packard Company said about the ITL Laboratory. "An example for all of our nation's research universities," said the president of the National Academy of Sciences. "A model for all of the University of Colorado," the president of the CU system said.

The College of Engineering and Applied Science continues to enable and define its greatness through annual endowment earnings and gifts twice the level of state support, high rankings for both undergraduate and graduate engineering programs, and one of the highest levels of federal research support per professor in the country.

But, in fact, it is the people who have stepped forward to serve the college that are its greatest hallmark. Melvyn Branch has been a dedicated and innovative associate dean for research and administration since my second semester at CU. Michael Lightner has led the college for four years in academic affairs and now special projects associated with the DLC and the Coleman Institute. Jim Sherman has devoted himself to the students as assistant dean for student services the whole time I have been at CU. Enid Ablowitz moved from engineering development to the new position of assistant dean for advancement and filled invaluable roles with ITLL, DLC, the Coleman Institute, and numerous other projects. Paul Bauman joined the team four years ago and has gracefully led the most successful development effort in the college's history. Carol Rowe has brought the college's communications portfolio to a new level of excellence.

And, finally, it is the students. The joys, challenges, and accomplishments of our students are indeed our greatest successes.

With a new strategic vision forged out of four retreats over the past year, the college is poised for the future. May its destiny be fulfilled.

Ross B. Corotis, Dean