Dear Alumni,

During my tenure as dean, the College of Engineering has been committed to improving the quality of our undergraduates and their programs. Aggressive recruitment of students and the development of strong intellectual programs in selected areas have helped the College reach the top tier of engineering schools in the country.

We have seen a 17-percent increase in freshman enrollment over the past four years. The average SAT score of entering freshmen has risen from 1219 to 1300 during the past eight years. With demand for admission to the College on the rise, we have the opportunity to hold our incoming class size steady and increase the quality of entering students. The students who apply and are accepted are among the brightest and most versatile at the University.

This year, five of the University's thirteen Case/Melville scholarship recipients were Engineering students. The Case and Melville scholarships are among the highest honors that Boston University bestows on undergraduates, recognizing students for their academic and extracurricular achievements. The awards range from $1,000 to full tuition and fees, depending upon need. The College's Case Scholars are Sarah Felix, Peter McNerney, John Moore, and Edgardo Salcedo, and the Melville Scholar is Tara Golba (see photo on back cover).

Two of our students delivered Commencement addresses this year: Jenny Gruber at the University Commencement and Kristin Goetchius at the Engineering convocation. Both were outstanding. Gruber is only the third student in BU history, and the second from the College, to be named a Rhodes Scholar (see story on page 11). She received both a B.S. summa cum laude and an M.S. in aerospace engineering at Commencement and plans to start a doctorate in engineering science this fall at the University of Oxford in England. Goetchius was a dean's host, student advisor, and a resident assistant. She will receive a B.S. in interdisciplinary engineering with a concentration in environmental science in January 2000.

On a personal note, I have greatly enjoyed my tenure as dean of the College of Engineering. I look forward to seeing new leadership in the Dean's Office, and I will be continuing my association with the College through teaching, research, technology transfer, and programs to strengthen the ties between engineering, science, and medicine.

Sincerely,

Charles DeLisi