The Engineering Profile for the University at Albany:
Report to the University C ouncil
February 27, 2015
This report introduces the computer engineering program and innovative multidisciplinary
engineering programs as the next steps in expanding the engineering profile of the University at
Albany.
Background:
The creation of a computer engineering program in the College of Computing and Information
was the first step in creating an engineering profile for the University. The computer engineering
degree (CompE) is aligned with President Jones’ call to expand degrees and research in high
growth, high needs areas. During the spring of 2014 the CompE Working Group crafted a
curriculum, consulted with education and industry partners and prepared a proposal for campus,
SUNY and SED approval.
At the same time academic and administrative leaders met with consultants to explore the next
steps in engineering for the University. Working off the Grand Challenges identified by the
National Academy of Engineering the committees recommended creating niche engineering
programs that could address the Grand Challenges and made the following connections:
Grand Challenge University Best Fit: Potential Engineering
— _ Degree Programs
Advance Health Informatics Public Health, Health Informatics,
Computing and Informatics Systems
Information
Engineering Better Medicine Biology, Chemistry Biomedical/Biological and
_ Synthetic Biology
Reverse Engineer the Brain Biology, Education Biological
Engineer the tools of scientific Biology, Atmospherics _Instrumentation/Biomedical
discovery Sciences
Provide Access to Clean Water Public Health, Environmental/A tmospheric
Chemistry, Atmospheric
Sciences
Three multidisciplinary subcommittees were established to match University expertise to
potential niche engineering programs in:
e Bio/Biomedical Engineering— including the development, structures, functions,
modelling of cellular/molecular/other phenomena, and tools for the
measurement/detection of same.
e (Health) Informatics/Information Engineering— including developing and using systems
of secure and navigable information, particularly that which is needed for efficient and
effective health care and its emerging contexts.
e Environmental Engineering— including understanding, measuring, modelling, managing,
and modifying elements of atmosphere and environment.
Progress to date:
By Dec, 2014 the Computer Engineering Program had created a 120 credit B.S. degree in
Computer Engineering with ABET requirements built-in, finalized the proposal after an external
evaluation by two national leaders in computer engineering and ABET accreditation and had the
proposal approved by the College of Computing and Information, the University Planning and
Policy Council (UPPC) and the University Academic Committee (UAC). The application is
pending Senate review and recommendation to the President. Upon signature of the President
and the Provost the application will be forwarded to SUNY and once approve by SUNY
forwarded to SED*. Two searches were underway for a Department Chair and three assistant
professors to create a Department of Computer Engineering in the College of Computing and
Information.
The multidisciplinary engineering programs began discussions about curriculum and specific
programs. The committees each identified an engineering program to address one or more of the
Grand Challenges.:
¢ Biological Engineering / Bioengineering
e Health Information and Health System Analytics Engineering
e Sustainable Engineering in Energy, Air and Water
The School of Business suggested both an undergraduate and graduate degree in financial
engineering as additional options and is formulating a curriculum. Due to obstacles in naming
conventions, work is needed to move the Environmental program forward. Health Information
and Health System Analytics found the engineering title to be inappropriate, Bioengineering is
working with partners to draft a curriculum focused on tissue synthesis.
Detailed information on both programs was presented to the Provost and the President in two
substantive reports: the “CompE Report to the Provost” (6/2014) and the “Next Steps
Engineering Report” (8/2014).
*Because the degree leads to a professional license, SED requires that the Office of the Professions Board of
Engineers review and approve the program prior to their final review.
Projected C osts:
Engineering Science programs are costly.
The following tables provides a reasonable estimate of the cost for the creation of the programs,
including the start-up costs for new hires in the program,
Computer Engineering Costs
Costs for Startup
and First Y ear Research Start: Total
zi Up Costs
Delivery
Computer $1,273,312 $900,000 $2,173,312
Engineering
Next Step Engineering Costs
Costs for Startup
and First Y ear Research Start- Total
. Up Costs
- Delivery
Biological $2,310,922 $14,500,000 $16,810,922
Informatics $1,574,444 $2,000,000 $3,574,444
Environmental $1,347,333 $3,900,000 $5,247,333
Financial $823,400 $100,000 $923,400
Next-Step Total $26,556,100
The projected cost of the entire profile as proposed is: $28,729,412
Considerations:
Today’s engineer is not your parent’s engineer. They face a highly competitive professional
environment with work place demands that have developed to the point of being
unrecognizable to the engineers of past generations.
The University’s engineering profile must engage industry at all levels of development and
implementation. Connecting with prominent high-level industry leaders would clearly benefit
the advancement of UAlbany’s engineering profile.
A Presidential Advisory Board would provide an opportunity to inform the President on the next
steps for engineering, connect the campus to industry collaborators and create a vision to
establish a School/College of Engineering.
The programs will provide access to public higher education engineering degrees retaining
students in our region to meet the demands of our local industries.
The programs can connect us with entrepreneurial investors who see the benefit of public
higher education and a multidisciplinary approach towards engineering degrees to meet the
Grand Challenges.
The best opportunity to establish the University’s engineering presence is to create niche
multidisciplinary programs that capitalize on our existing strengths and do not compete with
regional institutions offering traditional engineering programs.
Recommendations:
e Create a Presidential Engineering Advisory Board to direct the development of the
engineering profile at the University
e Hire a Founding Dean for a School/College of Engineering and A pplied Sciences within
the next two years
e Explore funding to support the development of niche engineering programs
e Funda marketing analysis for the proposed multidisciplinary programs
e Expand the offerings in the Computer Engineering program to include graduate programs,
electrical, electronics and software engineering
e Create a faculty hiring plan to serve the new engineering programs and provide faculty
for those schools and colleges supporting the required coursework (Math and Sciences)
e Engage the State University of New Y ork and the State Education Department in
conversations to redefine engineering as an academic interdisciplinary field.
Presented by:
Ann Marie Murray, Ph.D.
Associate Provost for Program Development and Service Professor
February 27, 2015
