January 2006
Friends of the College of Engineering,
It was refreshing to hear Governor Schwarzenegger's perspective on California's future and the importance he places on our university and college systems during his 2006 State of the State address last week. The Governor acknowledged that "California's system of colleges and universities is an enormous asset that fuels our innovation economy." While this may be obvious to many of us, unless we all agree that California's economic and social future is tied to the success of our university system, we will not make the necessary investments in higher education that are essential to assure our States's health.
Other states and nations (notably China) are making the long-range investments needed for a strong global future despite their own enormous problems.
"California is already on the leading edge of the global economy and it's changing and growing by leaps and bounds," the Governor said. "Yet we will let this advantage slip from our fingers, if we don't make the long-term investment in our ports, our roads, our schools, information systems and all the other infrastructure required to compete in a world that thrives on innovation." Hear! Hear!
As Dean of the engineering college that graduates more than 1% of our nation's engineers every year and whose graduates, faculty, and students have invented technologies and built enterprises responsible for well over $200B of economic value for California, I could not agree more. In today's global environment, where California-based corporations are competing in a real life-and-death struggle with well-resourced international competitors that often have significant regional advantages, the role of our research universities has never been as critical to the health of our state and our nation.
For the past four years, these Engineering Lab Notes have brought you just a sampling of the first-class research and teaching we aspire to at Berkeley. As a world leader in innovation and engineering research, we certainly stand ready to support this bold but essential vision for California.
I close this month with a final quote from Governor Schwarzenegger: "Some may say that we can't plan for the long term, because the needs are simply too great and the amounts are too much. But, ladies and gentlemen, we have no other choice." Now, let's really make it so!
Best wishes for the New Year and Go Bears!
/rich
A. Richard Newton
Dean, College of Engineering and
the Roy W. Carlson Professor of Engineering
Lab Notes is published online by the Marketing and Communications Office of the UC Berkeley College of Engineering. The Lab Notes mission is to illuminate groundbreaking research underway today at the College of Engineering that will dramatically change our lives tomorrow.
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