News Story

From the Dean, March 2003

Dear Friends,

There are several upcoming activities that I think will be of interest to you.

We have set a new date, Wednesday, May 14, 2003, for the Charles and Helen White Symposium and the Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building "Virtual" Groundbreaking Ceremony, which was postponed due to the snowstorm in February. Both events, including our symposium speakers, are the same as previously advertised, but the location has changed to the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.

Please join me for what will be a historic day for the Clark School of Engineering. To refresh your memory:

From 10 a.m. to Noon, we will sponsor a very significant academic event: The Charles and Helen White Symposium. The 2003 Inaugural Symposium, "New Systems for a New Era," explores future implications of the interconnections of bioengineering, information technology and nanotechnology. We are honored to have Dr. Arno Penzias, the 1978 Nobel Laureate, as our keynote speaker. Profs. Bentley, Ramesh and Baras will also give presentations in their respective fields. A panel discussion with the four presenters and moderated by Dr. William Destler, senior vice president for academic affairs, concludes the event. For more information, go to: www.eng.umd.edu/kim RSVP's are not required but help with planning.

Later in the day, at 2:00 p.m., also in the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, we will celebrate the groundbreaking of the A. James Clark School of Engineering's newest facility, the Jeong H. Kim Engineering and Applied Sciences Building. We are taking the term "groundbreaking" seriously. This event will be an innovative approach to a traditional event. A reception will follow the ceremony. For more information and to RSVP, go to: www.eng.umd.edu/kim

Also, please join us for Research Review Day, March 21, 2003 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Stamp Student Union. This event showcases the work of four Maryland high-tech units including the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Institute of Systems Research, Institute for Advanced Computer Studies and the Department of Computer Science. For more information and to register, go to: www.rrd.umd.edu

We also would like to invite you to nominate yourself or someone you know for the Clark School Innovation Hall of Fame. Over twenty innovators are on exhibit in the Gallery in Glenn Martin Hall. Their significant accomplishments include pioneering innovation in the early days of aviation, the development of solid state circuits, the standardization of form for the Universal Product Code, the development of digital satellite communication technology to the manufacturing of the soft contact lens to the discovery of the contact lens, to name but a few. For more information and to submit your nomination online: www.eng.umd.edu/ioh/

As an important member of our community, I encourage you to stay involved with the Clark School and participate in these exciting events and activities.

Nariman Farvardin, Professor and Dean

March 1, 2003