Our department is embarking on an exciting journey to revitalize our educational and research infrastructure, ensuring that our students receive the highest quality of education and practical experience. We are committed to fostering an environment where undergraduate and graduate students alike can thrive, innovate, and prepare for their future careers. From renovating our undergrad labs to supporting conference participation and research opportunities, our initiatives are designed to meet the evolving needs of the modern job market. Your support can make a significant impact, and we are excited to partner with you in shaping the future of our students
1) Undergrad labs renovation: Teaching facilities that can maintain our hands-on education experiences relevant to the current job needs are crucial. The existing facilities in the 2nd floor of Whitaker do not offer the environment and tools needed to achieve this in classes such as MAT10 and MAT268. Renovation costs are estimated in $85,000, including basic instrumentation. The department will match 1:1 any donation in this direction. Plaques can be placed with the donor's nam
2) Undergrad Conference participation: Participating in conferences can bring a unique perspective to the MSE students. With an average cost of $1,500 per student, we're targeting taking 30 students every year to conferences such as MS&T and TMS. The department will match 1:1 any donation in this direction. See video attached with testimonial of an undergrad student who participated in MS&T 2024.
4) Undergraduate research opportunity funds. One obstacle to provide an optimal research experience for UGs is that faculty don't always have funds in their grants to hire them through the summer. Let's lower this bar and help out! $2k/semester can provide unique research experience for undergraduates during summer or academic semester. The funds would be used to directly fund undergrads in their research enterprise with our faculty.