A year of growth

University of Notre Dame College of Engineering

The Golden Dome framed by a flowering tree

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

With the campus in full bloom, I’m happy to report on the growth we’ve seen this year. Among top accolades, 5 Notre Dame faculty were recently elected to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and 8 engineering faculty won NSF CAREER awards. Among the year’s most exciting new endeavors, the University announced the Bioengineering and Life Sciences (BELS) Initiative, a collaboration between the College of Engineering and the College of Science designed to advance human health and well-being. We’re setting records for graduation and enrollment — at commencement, we’ll confer 489 undergraduate degrees in engineering, 76 master’s degrees, and 90 Ph.D. degrees. A record number of rising sophomores (more than 500) have indicated that they intend to pursue a major in engineering (and nearly 40% are women)!

Raul Romero presents during his Edison Lecture on the Panama Canal expansion.

Dean Culligan presenting Raul Romero with a plaque

At a special event this year, on April 18 our community gathered for an Edison Lecture featuring Raul Romero, telling the fascinating story of doubling the capacity of the Panama Canal. Raul, who holds two degrees from Notre Dame — a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering and an M.S. degree in Civil and Structural Engineering — played a key role in this colossal engineering project.

I am extraordinarily proud of our Notre Dame Engineering community, including all of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. I hope you will enjoy this selection of top stories from the 2023-24 academic year.

Best regards,