I am thrilled to see so many face-to-face activities on campus. Life is getting ever closer to pre-pandemic status. Engineering student enrollment seems to have slightly increased-graduate more than the undergraduate. The incoming freshmen class is the largest we have seen in recent years. The college is retaining more of its students and the time it takes for them to graduate is becoming shorter. Data show that our efforts to increase curricular efficiencies and implement college-wide initiatives such as the Eloy Torrez Family Learning Communities are positively affecting students' success. In spite of the dampening effects of Covid-19, faculty members have once again increased their research productivity and our extramural expenditures are at an all-time high. Our departments are actively hiring new faculty and staff members, ensuring that all academic and administrative needs are met.

Quite a few organizational changes have been made at the college level that we are excited about. Our new Associate Dean of Research Professor Jay Misra has hit the ground running. Associate Professor Philip Braker has taken on the role of director of college information and communication activities. Ms. Gaby Cisneros is now heading human resource and fiscal operations in the college while continuing her role with the Office of Engineering Research. Ms. Jimi Ickes has the expanded role of directing and coordinating all undergraduate student services, as well as managing the Eloy Torrez Family Engineering Learning Communities. And Patrick Knapp is our new director of development and will lead the fund-raising efforts of the college with immediate focus on Thomas and Brown building replacement.

It feels great to be on campus and I'm looking forward to many more positive things happening in the College of Engineering this fall.