Dear Cornell Engineering community,

When I reflect on the past year — aware that, for many, 2024 was marked by division and conflict — I am amazed by the progress we were able to make by working together as a Cornell Engineering community. I speak in particular of the progress we made in enhancing the college’s physical infrastructure, in improving the student experience, in recommitting to our founding legacy of inclusive excellence, and doing all of this at a time  when  our students and faculty reached new heights in research and education.

The most transformative of these strides were enabled by the generosity of our alumni, and they warrant special attention, both to illustrate how your support is making a difference and to communicate the concrete investments we’re making in our college’s future.

In July, we announced the establishment of the Nancy and Bob Selander Center for Engineering Leadership, making leadership development a central component of our college’s undergraduate education, graduate training and faculty development. Modern engineering practice demands more than technical excellence – it requires experts who are also skillful communicators and can excel as members of complex teams. Through their support, Nancy and Bob Selander ’72 have made it possible to realize our goal of equipping every student who graduates from Cornell Engineering with the skills required to achieve all-around excellence in these areas.

In the fall, we cut the ribbon on the new Martin Y. and Margaret Lee Tang Hall.  The naming of the first new facility to be built on the engineering quad in two decades recognizes the generosity of Martin Y. Tang ’70 and Margaret Lee Tang and their support of our commitment to faculty excellence through the recruitment, support and retention of exceptional researchers and educators. In addition to introducing a modern look to the south side of the Pew Engineering Quad, Tang Hall — in combination with the Tang’s gift — will provide our world-class faculty with the environment and resources to do their best work.

This year also marked the 140th anniversary of Kate Gleason’s enrollment as the first woman to study engineering at Cornell. In celebrating this milestone we reflect upon the foresight of Cornell’s founders in making inclusion a fundamental part of our institutional mission and upon the profound and growing impacts Cornell Engineering is having in diversifying engineering disciplines. Today, our programs are recognized as the nation’s best for women in STEM fields, and we have more women in faculty leadership positions than at any point in our history.

As you read about these and other stories in this year’s magazine, I hope you share my sense of pride and of forward progress of our college. I also hope that you hear my personal call to get involved as we continue to work to forge a better future.

I look forward to staying in touch and to saying hello when you next visit campus.

Best Regards,

Lynden A. Archer

Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering