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Dean's Office College of Engineering & Computer Science

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Message From The Dean

Spring 2023 Message

Dear Sac State ECS Alumni, Community, and Industry Stakeholders,

Welcome to the Spring 2023 semester! Last year around this time, I was still serving as the interim dean, and I wrote about our return to in-person instruction on campus. This year, I am writing as the new permanent dean as we start a new chapter in our history, finding an appropriate balance between mostly in-person instruction with some on-line offerings. I am filled with continued optimism and hope that we will find the right balance of what works best for our students and their ability to learn and enjoy the “university experience.” The spring season symbolizes new beginnings, growth, and rejuvenation, and I believe this semester will be no different.

The past year has been busy with new and replacement faculty and staff hiring. We have nearly a dozen active faculty and administrative searches this year, and we have had considerable staff turnover – more than I have seen in my nearly two decades at Sacramento State. We continue to seek new qualified, part-time instructors as we continue to grow as a college. Our student organizations are slowly resuming activities and connecting again in meaningful ways. The hard work and dedication by our students, faculty, and staff endures and drives our College forward, as we embark on new opportunities.

We have developed a series of interactive events for our students to celebrate “ECS Week,” a more inclusive version of National Engineers Week or “E-Week” in February, and we have restarted small group tours of our engineering labs in the Ernest E. Tschannen Engineering Teaching & Research Building, to entice prospective students and to inspire “future Hornets” from surrounding middle and high schools.

We are strengthening our role in the greater Sacramento community, by collaborating with educational and industry partners on a regional initiative to attract more high school and transfer students to ECS pathways, particularly in underrepresented communities. We continue to graduate close to 1,000 students each year, and we host both in-person and virtual internship and career fairs every semester so that we can help them find meaningful careers, as the demand for our students continues to exceed what we can supply.

For our alumni, I hope this semester brings back fond memories of your time at Sacramento State and reminds you of the impact that you have in the region and beyond. For our community and industry partners, I hope this semester provides a chance to engage with our students and learn more about the exciting work being done here at Sacramento State. Together, your support and partnership are invaluable, and

we hope that you will stay connected and actively participate with our programs -- by employing our students, by connecting with our amazing faculty on innovative and applied research and scholarly activities, or by attending any of our upcoming department or college events – some of which are identified below.

Thank you for your continued support. Stingers Up!

Dr. Kevan Shafizadeh, P.E., T.E., PTP, PTOE

Dean, College of Engineering and Computer Science