From the Dean
Science Journal, Spring 1999 -- Vol 16, No. 1
Dear friends of the college,
One of the pleasures of my first few months as dean of the Penn State Eberly College of Science has been the opportunity to meet and talk with the alumni. Since the enthusiasm and deep affection of many alumni for Penn State are among the things that attracted me to the University, I have asked what it is that makes this place so special. I get many answers, humorous and serious, and, yes, including football (and football at Penn State is indeed special). But one consistent reply is "Penn State is the place that gave me a chance . . . Penn State gave me the opportunity to better myself and the world around me." I find this a deeply satisfying response. It speaks very directly to the purpose of the University, and it speaks very eloquently about the accomplishments of Penn State and its faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends.
Another thing that drew me to Penn State and particularly to the Eberly College of Science was the spirit of optimism and enthusiasm I found here. After six months on the job, I'm happy to report that there are good reasons for that optimism and enthusiasm. This college has had good leadership; it has been looked after and cared for. There are indeed problems and challenges, but the college has been growing in quality and growing in ambition and accomplishment. There are many measures of this growth. The students in the Eberly College of Science come with increasingly impressive credentials and are the best in the University; the college has an increasingly distinguished and accomplished faculty; and research activity in the college is at an all-time high--last year the faculty brought in $35 million in grants and contracts.
My goal is to build on the accomplishments of the Eberly College of Science and Penn State. We are moving in good directions, but there is much more that we can and must do. Present challenges for the college include meeting increased student demand for courses and programs while improving the quality of instruction and increasing access to a wide range of new educational opportunities, plus finding space for growing research programs.
At this moment, we are publicly embarking on a major fundraising campaign. This campaign, which has been in a quiet phase for the last couple of years, is substantially more ambitious than Penn State's campaign a decade ago, providing a better match to the needs and aspirations of the University. In this campaign, we are committed to finding resources to enhance and extend the educational opportunities, the research, and the outreach of the Eberly College of Science. The campaign is focused on our people--primarily our students and faculty--through endowments for scholarships and fellowships and endowments for faculty support, program support, and research support. There also are serious needs for facilities. I have had a close look at the impact of previous gifts--the chairs and professorships that make it possible to attract eminent faculty, the scholarships that make it possible for excellent students from all kinds of backgrounds to attend Penn State. These gifts have had a transforming effect on the college.
The campaign goal for the Eberly College of Science is $60 million. This is an ambitious goal, but we are confident that it can be achieved through the efforts and generosity of the many good friends of the college.
I look forward to meeting many more of our alumni and friends over the coming years, as well as to the enjoyment of being a part of this remarkable college.