1100100 Years of Engineering
Surely, Gabriel Garcia Marquez could never have thought that 100 years could be so long. But, measured in bits and bytes*, the past 100 years of engineering at USC have been full of excitement, discovery and innovation! This academic year marks the centennial anniversary of the first engineering courses offered at USC. It is a significant occasion that we believe is a springboard for our continued success in the next century. It also coincides with the 125th anniversary of USC. How did USC survive a quarter of a century without engineering?
For 100 years, USC has been producing professional engineers that helped advance California, the nation and the world. Some, such as Andrew Viterbi or Neil Armstrong have touched the lives of virtually everyone in the world.Many others have made their impact less visibly, although that impact has been just as important.
In this special centennial magazine, you will read about a century of USC engineering. You will discover how the Viterbi School has become one of the top engineering schools in the world, and one that is only getting better.
We are celebrating the School’s impressive history for the entire 2005/2006 academic year — the opportunity only comes once a century! But our spotlight will not just be on the past.
The Viterbi School is focused on the next 100 years. In this issue’s special section (beginning on page 5), you will also learn more about current research and the engineers who are burning a path toward tomorrow.
What is the next century going to be like? As Niels Bohr famously said, prediction is hard, particularly about the future… The National Academy of Engineering has produced a more modest prediction target in its report of the “Engineer of 2020.” The report notes the sweeping globalization trends, the revolutions in information, biological and nanotechnology, the constantly evolving aspects of education and the radical demographic changes expected in this country. All will change dramatically the engineering landscape, and with that, the model for engineering education.
Any school not busy leading is busy following. Our ambition is to lead the nation in the key aspects of engineering education and research likely to shape the future. We are revolutionizing undergraduate education through learner-centric methods, including instructional technology. We are training bright undergraduates in engineering with quality first contact, through our freshman academies, a revamped mathematics sequence, service learning and new minors, such as a minor in commercialization.We are offering opportunities for progressive degrees (BS and MS in five years). We are paying close attention to the need for a “value-added” engineering curriculum, by offering learning opportunities in business and market skills.
Our technologically superb Distance Education Network, currently experiencing double-digit growth, leads the way in making life-long learning a reality for working engineers.
Our commitment to the faculty as the pillar of academic excellence remains at the core of our mission.We continue to build faculty strength, with emphasis in areas critical to the future, especially at the nano-bio intersection.We will also redouble our efforts to increase the numbers of women and underrepresented groups to our faculty.
We are in the stretch run of our ambitious $300 million fund-raising initiative.We have had a series of spectacular gifts with the most recent in September 2005, the gift from John Mork (BSPE ’70) and his family to name the Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (see feature story on page 29).
However, the success of fundraising usually depends on more modest gifts and at the end of the day, the Viterbi School relies on the support of its loyal alumni.We count on all of you to help us move the School forward.
So, celebrate our rich history with us and help us build the future 1100100 years!
Yannis C. Yortsos
Dean
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
