I want to thank all the alumni and well wishers for your support during these unprecedented times due to COVID-19. I hope you and your family are healthy and safe. This summer due to financial pressure, the University had to reorganize from eleven Colleges to five Colleges. The College of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering (CPSPE) is now the School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering (SPSPE) and we became a part of the Engineering College, which has been renamed as the College of Engineering and Polymer Science. This reorganized structure gives us the leverage to work with other engineering disciplines to promote research and undergraduate teaching.
I now serve as an Interim Director of SPSPE. We have also merged the two departments, Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, as one unit under SPSPE. We will continue to offer the same graduate degree programs in both PS and PE in the SPSPE. By combining these two departments we are in a better position to streamline our expertise in the areas of sustainability, biomaterials, and energy. We continue our support of maintaining the cutting-edge research instrumentation and the unique processing facilities that we have built as part of the National Polymer Innovation Center (NPIC).
In response to COVID-19, this fall we offered all our classes either online or in-person. All our first-year students enrolled in the Akron Master’s Program are taking online classes from China. Our faculty members utilize Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Webex platforms to deliver classes online, seminars and conduct group meetings. This pandemic has made us realize the pros and cons of online media in education and also made us realize the importance of face-to-face interactions with our colleagues and students. We are really proud of our graduate students who have adapted to this changing landscape and are doing an excellent job in managing research while maintaining social distancing and wearing masks.
On behalf of my faculty members, staff and current students, I want to reiterate the message that the polymer program at Akron is doing well. We deeply value the outpouring of support provided by all of you during this reorganization process. Polymers will continue to play an important role at the University. We value your continued support and input. As always, please do not hesitate to contact me with any ideas that you may have to expand our polymer footprint in the world.
Best Regards,
Ali Dhinojwala
Interim Director
School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering
The University of Akron