We are nearly a month into the spring semester of 2021, and as a rather unique and challenging 2020 recedes farther into the past, we take the lessons learned and look forward to advancing excellence on all fronts in the year ahead. We may embrace a new normal that is yet to fully reveal itself, but our quest to elevate the human condition, enable student success, and educate the workforce of the future continues in all realms and modalities. We are conducting searches to hire new faculty, holding our graduate research symposium and open house virtually on February 19, and pursuing major Giving Campaigns that will significantly impact student experiences across all of our academic programs. SSEBE faculty, staff, and students are working tirelessly to accelerate the engineering of a sustainable future and winning accolades for their contributions, a few of which are highlighted in this newsletter. Please join us on this journey and help advance our endeavors through your support. Thank you.  
 
Ram M. Pendyala, PhD, Professor and Director