Sent to: Michigan Engineering faculty, staff and students
Greetings Michigan Engineering colleagues – and Happy Fall!
Last week I had the pleasure of getting to speak with many of you through the Faculty Meeting and Staff State of the College address. As reported in those discussions, there are many activities happening here at the College and many things to be excited about. I’d like to cover just a few here briefly, but I encourage you to always check the biweekly EnginUpdate messages that come from the College to stay informed on new information, announcements and ways to get involved or add feedback.
- Our Research Expenditures continue to rise year over year, with an increase of 10.15% from fiscal year 2022 to fiscal year 2023, for a total of $310 million in spending. The University of Michigan overall reported a record $1.86 billion in research expenditures. As part of this increase, we had many exciting awards granted this year that will shape the future of our research enterprise. You can see samples of them in the links at the bottom of this message.
- Our recently launched Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) 2.0 Strategic Plan, which aligns with the University’s broader DEI 2.0 planning, renews our dedication towards fostering an inclusive, equitable and respectful environment. We highly encourage all community members to contribute their feedback on the plan and actively participate in the ongoing dialogue. Please look for opportunities to do so throughout the semester.
- The use of Generative AI continues to be a trending topic, and we are actively seeing faculty and staff find ways to incorporate it as a helpful tool to increase our scholarship and output. The University’s Generative AI website offers training and tools to help grow your comfort and understanding of the tools – including the new UM-GPT access point for all in the University community.
- In an effort to increase our safety and security at the College, numerous facilities and communications activities are in progress or recently completed. This includes the College’s new Safety & Security website, appearing in the footer of many College web properties, which has been updated with new content and resources to aid our community in maintaining a safe, secure environment.
Of course, none of these activities could be possible without the work of dedicated faculty and staff members across the College. As we move into the second half of this semester, I want to take a moment to remind everyone that we are a global community, built on the bedrock of our values. At the same time that our students, faculty and staff will celebrate an array of religious and cultural traditions, we cannot ignore how conflicts around the world may be impacting people right here on North Campus. Please practice respect, kindness and inclusivity as you engage with each other, and seek to support one another through what is sure to be a busy remainder of 2023.
Best wishes, and Go Blue!
Steven L. Ceccio, Ph.D.
Interim Dean of Engineering
Vincent T. and Gloria M. Gorguze Professor of Engineering