Dear colleagues, students, alumni, and friends,
Allow me to present the excellence and aspirations of The University of Tulsa’s newly restructured College of Engineering & Computer Science (ECS). During my first few months as inaugural dean, I had the privilege to engage with many members of the TU community, and I have been impressed with the hard work and commitment to the mission of the university as a highly rated, small, private university on the path to becoming a research-intensive R1 institution and a top-ranked college. With this ambitious goal, TU is investing and expanding in several strategic research areas, which will create unparalleled growth opportunities.
The reorganization of the college that took place during the summer has created a vibrant new energy and focus among our engaged and dedicated faculty. ECS has a global reputation in energy and cyber security with long-standing research and scholarship-for-service programs supported by industries and the federal government. TU boasts a large-scale research facility that has hosted numerous industry/university partnerships and consortia for more than 50 years. The college is home to seven departments, 70 faculty, 750 undergraduate students, 350 graduate students, and six Ph.D. programs, which produce scientists and engineers for placement as professors and researchers at universities, industries across the nation and the world, and national labs. I am proud to announce that we have a record number of ECS graduate students this fall, where enrollment grew in six of our seven doctoral programs, including a 114% jump in the unique cyber studies Ph.D. program.
I am pleased to share news of funding for collaborative centers and research projects that will build on our legacy of excellence. These include $24 million for the new Oklahoma Cyber Innovation Institute, which will spur Tulsa’s rise as a national tech hub; a major Department of Energy grant for interdisciplinary materials science and engineering research; and a significant gift from Chevron to advance faculty work on carbon capture, utilization, and storage.
I am grateful to everyone who has supported our college in the past and hope that you will consider extending that generosity as we approach Giving Tuesday. Your contributions significantly impact our promising students and create a bright future for ECS.
Andreas A. Polycarpou
James Sorem Inaugural Dean
Endowed Chair Professor of Mechanical Engineering