"You are the best ambassadors our college could hope for,
and I appreciate all you do."
As I settle into my first year as dean, I would like to express my profound gratitude to all who have reached out and engaged with the college. I have been fortunate to meet and learn from many of you who are achieving incredible successes in your professional and personal lives. The College of Engineering and Applied Science certainly has many reasons to be proud.
Already this year, we’ve celebrated several shared successes: the naming of the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences, the election of Professor Dan Scheeres and Adjoint Professor Philippe Spalart to the National Academy of Engineering, the growth of the Lockheed Martin Radio Frequency Space Systems Research Center, a top 10 ranking for two of our graduate programs, a Presidential Early Career Award for Associate Professor Franck Vernerey, a 50 percent increase in the number of prestigious National Science Foundation graduate research fellowships across the college, selection of two faculty members as National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award recipients, and the creation of a new endowed chair to honor former dean Robert H. Davis, to name a few.
There is no more important time in history for engineers and applied scientists to contribute to the future of our society. The research and educational advancements we create in this college are critical to growing our national and global economy, enhancing our security and safety, and improving our quality of life. We’ve embarked on several new initiatives, including the development of a unified vision for what our college should aspire to become. As an international community of scholars, we’ve celebrated the inclusive environment required to innovate in the 21st century. And we continue to explore new educational approaches to develop not only the technical depth of our talented engineers and scientists but also provide them with the entrepreneurial, communication and leadership tools and experiences necessary for them to create the technological products, services and businesses upon which tomorrow’s society will be built.
Maintaining open lines of communication is a priority for me, and I hope to connect with many more of you in the coming months. You are the best ambassadors our college could hope for, and I appreciate all you do to represent and support the College of Engineering and Applied Science with pride. Please let me know if you are planning a trip back to Boulder. I would love to show you the growth in our educational and research programs and describe our exciting plans for the college’s future. 
Dean Robert D. Braun // @DeanBobbyBraun