Dean Shukla Discusses Strategic Priorities and Launches CSE Newsletter

One of the best parts of my job as dean has been talking with faculty, staff, students, alumni, advisory boards and employers about the future of STEM education and of course, the future of our school. We have identified priorities, drafted goals and initiatives and sought reflections, and feedback to develop a shared vision, understanding and language around our collective future. This strategic plan will be guided by the following priorities:

1. Growing with the rapidly evolving emerging technologies in computing, data, information ecosystem. 
2. Infusing innovation and expanding experiential learning. 
3. Fostering access and excellence in STEM education and research.  

As the Jesuit university located in Seattle, with a faculty immersed in innovation and humanity, we are ideally positioned to address transformational shifts in global society, education, and technology. We need to leverage our collective strengths in innovation, STEM education, and ethical leadership to prepare our students to address the promise and pitfalls of technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing; to find innovative solutions to pressing economic, health, and educational access challenges; and to meet the crucial need to “care for our common home,” embodied in Laudato Si’.   
 
The College of Science and Engineering (CSE) strategic priorities provide a vivid blueprint for our institutional ambitions, and they focus our energies upon our established teacher-scholar model that is an expression of our Jesuit values.  
 
I look forward to sharing more about our strategic plan and its execution in the future editions of our newsletter. In this issue, we feature a spotlight on faculty work including research and teaching excellence, as well as our partnerships with other units to create new interdisciplinary opportunities. I hope you enjoy reading about this work, and I look forward to connecting with you in the coming year to tell you more about our vision for the future of CSE. 
 
Wishing you happy holidays and a happy new year 2025!