Message from the Dean
Welcome to our latest issue of Columbia Engineering magazine. This winter, we have brought back the print version of our magazine, along with the digital version available online. Our new, revamped magazine reflects the vast scope of research, outreach, and impact being done every day by our inspiring and engaged faculty and students.
Last year, we faced many challenges as a community. Despite those challenges, we began the academic year with a renewed sense of purpose and a commitment to cultivating community through new and compelling programs and initiatives. Such programming reflects some of the most exciting research happening at our School.
In this issue, we dive into the concept of Engineering ×, meaning how engineering is now integral to all disciplines, from health and medicine to social science and journalism. We also share the latest from our faculty and centers related to data, intelligence, women’s health, business, climate, medicine, and journalism.
In September, we joined organizations across New York City as well as the Columbia Climate School and the Data Science Institute to celebrate Climate Week NYC. Our programming included lectures on making cities more sustainable, fusion adoption, sustainable cloud computing and AI, as well as energy storage.
The week also featured the launch of the Columbia Engineering Lecture Series in AI with Pierre Gentine, director of our NSF Science and Technology Center LEAP (Learning the Earth with Artificial Intelligence and Physics). AI continues to be a University priority, and Engineering is leading the charge. As a preeminent research institution, Columbia Engineering plays a unique role in a dynamic and complex landscape dominated by a handful of companies. I encourage you to read my discussion with our new vice dean of AI and computing, Vishal Misra, on adapting to this ever-evolving landscape. You can also learn how we are integrating AI into education with our new AI in Context course, which is being team-taught by engineering and humanities faculty.
Our new interim president, Katrina Armstrong, has made building a more inclusive and welcoming community a top priority. In that spirit, we profile several of our alumni: Disney Imagineer and Class Day 2024 speaker Lanny Smoot BS’77, MS’78; Marissa Beatty PhD’22; our new CEAA president, Reid Ellison BS’08; and Imran Shah BS’84, MS’86, PHD’94, our latest Silberstein Family Executive in Residence. You can also read about our 2024 Reunion Weekend.
I hope you enjoy this issue and take pride in the many ways we are making an impact and continuing our mission to be engineers for humanity.
Shih-Fu Chang
Dean, Columbia Engineering
Morris A. and Alma Schapiro Professor