Task Forces

Beginning in Fall 2017, the College of Engineering initiated faculty-led task forces to determine new ideas and strategies in six primary areas of importance. The overall objectives are to enhance the learning environment for the college's undergraduate and graduate students, as well as to support faculty development and research. Faculty members were selected based on their interest and expertise in these specific areas.

Information and reports from these groups have been added to the individual task force pages; access these by clicking the task force name or through the links in the table on the right. Faculty must be logged into the UNL website using My.UNL credentials, through the ‘Login’ link at the top of the webpage. All college faculty are encouraged to leave comments / feedback as ideas and strategies progress, through the comment forms available on each task force page.

General questions on this process may be addressed to Associate Dean Lily Wang.

1) UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING EDUCATION

• Carl Nelson (MME) = Chair
• Hunter Flodman (ChBE)
• Libby Jones (CIVE)
• Deepak Keshwani (BSE)
• Suzette Person (CSE)
• Khalid Sayood (ECE)
• Clarence Waters (DSAEC)

Charge
Describe the content and pedagogy needed to deliver an aspirational educational experience.

2) FACULTY WORKLOAD AND EVALUATION

Full report PDF

Dean’s Office Liaisons: Mark Riley, Lance Perez and Lily Wang

• Shannon Bartelt-Hunt (CIVE) = Chair
• Chris Bourke (CSE)
• Bruce Dvorak (CIVE/BSE)
• Ned Ianno (ECE)
• Gustavo Larsen (ChBE)
• Jung Yul Lim (MME)
• Erica Ryherd (DSAEC)

Charge
Identify best practices in the college for allocating faculty time to teaching, research, and service activities (PLANNING), documentation of accomplishments (REPORTING), and review of productivity (EVALUATION).  Outcome should be clear goals of policy and procedures that recognize QUALITY of activities.  

For example, with service roles, participation on a committee is one level, while leading the accomplishment of a committee activity is another.  Recognizing diversity in disciplinary norms, identify what a high level of activity (in research, teaching, service) looks like.

3) RESEARCH SUPPORT (Core Facilities, Infrastructure, and Equipment)

• Joe Turner (MME) = Chair
• Leonard Akert (ChBE staff)
• Xu Li (CIVE)
• Yongfeng Lu (ECE)
• Paul Marxhausen (ECE staff, Director of ECE shop)
• George Morcous (DSAEC)
• Angie Pannier (BSE)
• Michael Sealy (MME)
• David Swanson (Director of Holland Computing Center)

Charge
Describe the current and future needs of COE faculty, staff, and students engaged in research for support from core / shared facilities.  What is the ideal method for workflow from project concept to project realization?  Scope includes Mechanical shop, Electrical shop, IT support for research, and physical infrastructure.

4) GRADUATE STUDENT RECRUITMENT

• Eva Schubert (ECE) = Chair
• Fadi Alsaleem (DSAEC)
• Florin Bobaru (MME)
• Anu Subramanian (ChBE)
• Can Vuran (CSE)
• Rebecca Wachs (BSE)
• Jinying Zhu (CIVE)

Charge
Identify best practices for recruitment of a high quality and diverse graduate student body.

5) GRADUATE STUDENT MENTORING AND DEVELOPMENT

• Graduate Program Chairs
• Anu Subramianian (ChBE) = Chair
• Greg Bashford (Biomed)
• Bruce Dvorak (Environmental)
• Josephine Lau (AE)
• Yusong Li (CIVE)
• Wei Qiao (ECE-EE)
• John Reid (MEAM)
• Jena Shafai (MEM)
• Hamid Sharif (Telecomm, ECE-Comp Eng)
• Terry Stentz (CEM)
• Jeyam Subbiah (BSE)
• Vinod Variyam, Lisong Xu (CSE-Comp Eng)
• Jian Wang (Materials)

Charge
Identify best practices for creating and maintaining a consistent culture of excellence with regards to the graduate student experience across the College of Engineering, for professional Master’s students, MS and PhD students. Among the questions to consider: What formal and informal education and training should we provide to all graduate students in the College of Engineering, if any? What should be the qualifications of PhD students in order to teach in our undergraduate courses? How should they be trained and/or mentored? What should be the responsibilities of supervisors and supervising committees regarding grant writing, sending them to conferences, etc.? How can we build and/or strengthen a College level graduate community?

6) FACULTY DEVELOPMENT AND MENTORING

• Tim Wentz (DSAEC) = Chair
• Myra Cohen (CSE)
• Linxia Gu (MME)
• Roger Hoy (BSE)
• Yi Qian (ECE)
• Chungwook Sim (CIVE)
• Henk Viljoen (ChBE)

Charge
Evaluate the needs of COE faculty mentoring and professional development. Things to consider: Much effort has been put in place for supporting newly hired faculty; additional efforts need to support those who have been on staff beyond the typical startup process. Activities are already in place to educate faculty on writing proposals, on improving teaching, and to perform technology transfer. The recommendations ought to be for college-wide activities not focused on variances across disciplines. Efforts should facilitate a culture of shared mentoring responsibilities. Programmatic support mechanisms should be in place as faculty progress through their careers. There is no need to invent a new form of mentoring.

7) DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

• Ece Erdogmus (DSAEC) = Chair
• Andy Barritt (Undergraduate Student)
• Shudipto Dishari (ChBME)
• Brianne Inselman (Undergraduate Student)
• Francisco Munoz-Arriola (BSE)
• Eric Psota (ECE)
• Luz Sotelo (Graduate Student)
• Ryan Pedrigi (MME)
• Lisong Xu (CSE)
• Richard Wood (CIVE)

Charge
Identify best practices towards becoming a more diverse and inclusive community, in terms of faculty and students.