Letter from Dean Morgan

May 2025

Dear College of Engineering Alumni, Parents, and Friends:

I am thrilled to write to you as the College of Engineering and University reflect on another successful academic year. Last week, BU Engineering graduated another cohort of Societal Engineers: students who will go on to lead in their fields, tackle the complexities of today’s world, and advance engineering discoveries that will power progress for individuals and communities across the world. We are proud that they are graduating at a time when BU Engineering has climbed to 27^th in the nation – a testament to the College’s growing impact.

While we continue to move forward in pursuit of our mission, we are navigating the impact of the federal government’s actions in higher education. We are experiencing cancellations of and delays in research funding from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation; these disruptions jeopardize the progress we have been making in tissue engineering, information security, and other areas vital to health, safety, and prosperity. In addition, many international students have experienced sudden and unexplained terminations of their visa records. These federal actions have major consequences for our College’s community and our country’s future. The United States has long been the leader in scientific discovery and its research universities like Boston University are the training grounds for the next generation of technology pioneers. Restoring federal funding for research is essential for our country to educate the brightest minds and create solutions for problems ranging from Alzheimer’s disease to cyberattacks to air pollution.

BU Engineering remains steadfast in our unwavering commitment to our teaching and research mission. Our faculty and students work on projects with far-reaching impacts beyond campus. BU Engineering professor Yannis Paschalidis joined Boston University researchers and collaborators at Boston Children’s Hospital to launch artificial intelligence–powered surveillance platform, the Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network (BEACON), to monitor and analyze infectious diseases threats around the world. Earlier this spring, BU Engineering students mentored a team of 20 high schoolers from Boston University Academy (BUA) and Boston’s Match Charter High School as they built a robot and earned high marks in FIRST Robotics Scholastic Competition, furthering the goal of exposing more young people to engineering.

There is no shortage of activity happening on campus, and I urge you to consider getting engaged. This spring’s opening of The Engineering Commons, the College’s new community hub that brings academic, professional, and wellness support to students, offers even more opportunities to engage with students in an individual or corporate capacity. This fall on September 26, our annual BU Engineering Showcase will bring together students, faculty, alumni, and friends to spotlight the bold ideas, impactful research, and remarkable people driving sustainability research at BU Engineering and beyond – keep an eye out for an invitation and in the meantime, please save the date. Your involvement helps fuel our success and demonstrates the importance of giving back to our students and the next generation of Societal Engineers.