New dean reflects on Gator Engineering

September 14, 2009

No engineer is an island.

The most successful engineers immerse themselves in the lives of the people around them, finding ways to make life better for everyone. They spend their careers in the service of others, solving practical problems and meeting tangible needs. Their passion for people motivates them to do the unexpected, attempt the risky and attain the impossible.
The best engineers — the ones truly destined to make a difference — reflexively reach beyond cultural, temporal and disciplinary boundaries. They understand that isolationism is a death sentence to creativity, but embracing differences cultivates innovation.

At the University of Florida College of Engineering, this is the kind of culture we encourage, and our students are heavily recruited as a result. It also allows us to create new interdisciplinary programs attacking problems from a variety of perspectives. Because of our people and our broad array of research initiatives, our college has the opportunity to be a leader in this new approach to addressing issues in energy, health care, sustainable infrastructure and the environment, information technology, nanotechnology, and a myriad of other questions facing society.

It’s an exciting time to be a new dean of engineering — especially Gator Engineering.

Cammy Abernathy
Dean, College of Engineering