DukEngineer Magazine 2023

As I write this letter for our annual edition of DukEngineer, it’s an unusually warm and beautiful day on campus. The sidewalks are filled with energetic students excited about finishing their semester projects and getting ready for Spring Break! I couldn’t be happier to see such a swift return of the vibrancy to campus that is the hallmark of a close-knit community passionate about its efforts.

But while record warmth in February makes for a wonderful afternoon in the moment, it’s also a reminder of the challenges we face ahead. Already we’re facing phenomenal rain events in California while surrounding states simultaneously worry about water availability from the Colorado River. With the impending consequences of climate change looming larger by the day, all of us in engineering are proud to be part of a university that takes our situation so seriously, with Duke having launched its Climate Commitment late last year.

Climate change touches on most of our school’s research and educational programs—programs that I’m pleased to say continue to evolve to meet the coming demands of addressing this global challenge. Building on the marquee features of our First-Year Design course and capstone design program in each major, we’re contextualizing our undergraduate experience with the societal problems—climate r

elated and beyond—our students will solve as future engineers. We’re positioning our curriculum to align with the deep purpose our students have coming into campus and providing them with the agency and grit they’ll need to intrepidly tackle the world’s greatest challenges.

“We’re positioning our curriculum to align with the deep purpose our students have coming into campus and providing them with the agency and grit they’ll need to intrepidly tackle the world’s greatest challenges.”

Of course, high ideals and aspirations aren’t enough to make an impact on the world’s future. To ensure Duke Engineering does more than give these issues lip service, we’re taking numerous actions with a sense of urgency. We’re teaming with the Nicholas School of the Environment to launch a program called Design Climate, which deploys interdisciplinary teams of students and faculty to create h

ighly innovative and sustainable climate solutions by working with real-world problems and clients. We’re also pursuing a cluster of new faculty hires in the area of climate change resilience and mitigation, and launching a new Master’s of Engineering degree in Climate and Sustainability Engineering to develop leaders ready to inspire the diverse teams needed to bring about tangible and equitable change.

All of these exciting new initiatives are mirrored by equally inspiring developments in our other areas of strength as well. Our biomedical engineering programs continue to be a powerhouse of excellence, having recently launched a Medical Technology Design (MedTech) Master’s Degree and Certificate program, building on our highly successful classes that put engineers directly into clinical spaces to discover areas of need and design, prototype and potentially commercialize solutions. In downtown Durham, the Duke Quantum Center continues to grow and not only push the boundaries of the next wave of computing technology but develop the talented students who will form the basis of the nascent industry’s workforce. We’ve also recently launched the $26 million, NSF-funded “PreMiEr” Research Center, focused on understanding and engineering the microbiomes in our homes, workspaces and other built environments to improve human health. And our faculty ranks continue to grow with new talent and diverse ideas, thanks in part to the Duke Science and Technology Initiative, which helped bring five incredible women to Duke Engineering’s faculty in the past year alone.

And as one of the gatekeepers to these burgeoning programs and opportunities, we’re striving to be ever mindful of who gets access to this playing field. We remain committed to increasing diversity in the broadest sense, including talented people with different perspectives on life experiences along with identity. Only with a wide array of viewpoints can we bring more vitality to the solutions we pursue.

Within the pages of this student-written magazine, I believe you’ll see the signs that all of these efforts are making a huge difference in positioning Duke En

gineering to tackle any challenge that lies ahead. It’s in the writing on the walls, so to speak. I’m continually impressed by the aspirations and successes of our students, and I can’t wait to see what the next year brings.

Jerome P. Lynch, PhD, F.EMI
Vinik Dean of Engineering
Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering

I first joined Pratt’s Engineering Student Government (ESG) in my second month at Duke—September 2020—in the midst of a year in which ESG had worked to reinvent itself to provide for students virtually. Nearly three years later, I am excited to say that we are reinventing ESG again. We have the renewed opportunity to provide students with programming and advocacy, paired with a new Dean of Engineering and a government comprised of students who never saw what came before, and who are ready to create something new.

A core tenet of Engineering Student Government is our duty to provide for all students in Pratt, and we are excited to expand our reach in diverse ways. This includes incorporating campus-wide feedback into the decisions we make, promoting our elections across Pratt to ensure each major is represented, and even reaching out to incoming students, providing ESG as a campus resource from the beginning. With this aim, we are excited to be holding this year’s E-Ball with the largest capacity in recent history, allowing more students than ever to attend, based on the feedback we heard in the past. Our reach among students has extended through supporting dozens of student groups, with an emphasis on young engineering organizations that we can help grow. Even if it means running out of food at our E-Socials in a matter of minutes, it has been incredible to see more students than ever taking advantage of our resources and working with us to improve our campus.

Beyond the numbers, we are working hard to connect engineering students with resources that our campus previously lacked. This includes creating the Majors Fair event with the Dean’s Office, developing a hub for professional resources, and extending ESG’s presence to campus events where we have not been seen previously. We are also bringing the return of recruiting companies to our E-Socials, integrating programming between current and incoming students, providing alumni networking opportunities, and connecting the Academic Deans to students in a casual space. This is all made possible by expanding ESG’s network with new offices across Pratt, including Special Events, Corporate Relations, and Alumni Council. We are excited to meet new individuals across Duke who can allow us to connect students with brand new resources and opportunities.

“Even if it means running out of food at our E-Socials in a matter of minutes, it has been incredible to see more students than ever taking advantage of our resources and working with us to improve our campus.”

A third initiative, as we reinvent our campus presence, is going beyond Pratt to see how we can best serve engineering students. This includes new modes of communication with Duke Student Government to understand external campus initiatives that we can extend to Pratt. This initiative encompasses innovations in academic advocacy, approaches to accessibility and sustainability, and improvements to campus life. We have also reignited Duke’s relationship with the National Association of Engineering Student Councils, allowing for the sharing of diverse ideas from campuses across the country.

I am thrilled with all the progress ESG has made in the past year, and I am excited to lead these initiatives going forward, bringing improved resources to more students than ever before. Enjoying a close relationship with Dean Lynch, Pratt’s administrative offices, and student groups across Duke, we hope to continue our current initiatives while developing brand new ways to serve Pratt. My work as president would be impossible without the consistent hard work of the entire ESG board, and the routine feedback of Pratt students whose voices are heard. I am honored to serve as president, representing so many incredibly capable individuals, and committed to shaping Pratt’s Engineering Student Government as a fundamental campus resource, providing academic advocacy and improvements to the quality of student life in every way we can.

Jack Rhodes
ESG President

The Engineering Graduate Student Council (EGSC) is continuing our efforts to bring together the Pratt graduate student community, and we’re ready for a new year full of events welcoming old and new faces alike. Graduate school is a tough time, tougher still in these often-challenging times, and we want organizations like ours to be successful in our missions of networking, community involvement and—importantly—having fun.

I am thankful to past EGSC boards and Pratt administration for their help over the past few years, despite all the challenges during this time. I, now a third-year PhD student, have not known a Duke untouched by the pandemic. I attended a virtual recruitment and experienced two years of mostly virtual events. Determined leaders around Pratt were able to overcome these hard times, and they inspired me to run for positions on EGSC. That said, there’s still work to do to recover from the challenges of 2020 and 2021. We hope to continue rebuilding our partnerships with event spaces, volunteer organizations and community partners, and come out stronger than ever.

EGSC has long been focused on PhD student engagement, and now we’re taking steps to expand our efforts to benefit the master’s student body, also an essential component of the Pratt community. This year, we’re fortunate to have the support of leaders from both PhD and masters’ programs to host events catered to the entire Pratt graduate student community. Special thanks to Dean Jerome Lynch, Dr. Brad Fox, Dr. Aaron Franklin and many others in Pratt for their efforts. We’re also thankful to our new EGSC masters’ programs representatives, who have stepped up to fill these inaugural roles in impactful ways.

“We hope to continue rebuilding our partnerships with event spaces, volunteer organizations and community partners, and come out stronger than ever.”

This year, EGSC has hosted our usual annual events, revived pre-pandemic traditions and tried entirely new things. Pratt Chat, our weekly Friday afternoon social hour, has seen large numbers of graduate students for months. Envisioning the Invisible, our annual photo contest, will once again showcase brilliant photos from the bright minds of the Pratt community. Our Pratt-wide poster session in September was an incredible success. Our professional headshot events gather hundreds of students every semester. Of course, we’re not finished. Watch parties, research presentations, networking opportunities and many more events are on deck for the next several months. Stay tuned!

Most of all, I want to thank the EGSC Board for their hard work in making this all possible:

• Eva Kim, Vice President
• Siddhant Sandeep Bapat, Treasurer
• Karsten Poulsen, Communications Director
• Yifei Wang, BME Representative
• Aaron Appelle, CEE Representative
• Francesco Luzi, ECE Representative
• Kaichun Yang, MEMS Representative
• Joshua Chan, MS Representative
• Shruthee Sankarlinkam, MEng Representative
• Dishant Bhatt, MEM Representative

To the Pratt community: thank you for a great year. I, along with the rest of the EGSC board, look forward to serving you through 2023 and for years to come.

All the best,
Kaleb Kassaw
EGSC President

Dear Duke Engineering Alumni:

This past year allowed the Engineering Alumni Council a return to all in-person meetings for the first time in three years. I hope we can all thank the Council for continuing to support the student and alumni experience throughout the past few years of virtual engagement. As a team, we pounced on this reopening with new mentorship programming, increased attention on student engagement, and a return to normal for the Engineering Awards Banquet.

The EAC’s mentorship program continues to grow — now reaching over 750 students and alumni. This program is continuing to exceed objectives to:

1. Connect current students with alumni working in their fields of interest,
2. Help students build professional skills and networks, and
3. Reconnect alumni to the Pratt School of Engineering

We looked into new platforms to facilitate even more alumni/student connections, and published the first Pratt Alumni Mentorship Newsletter. Check out these videos for some great real-life feedback from mentors and students about the relationships they’ve developed.

The EAC is planning to launch another student-focused initiative called “Sherpa Sheets.” In this program, alumni in a local area answer questions about the city in which they live so Pratt students interning in that city over the summer (or moving there following graduation) have a guidebook for affordable places to live, where to bring visiting parents and friends, and other helpful local knowledge. Continuing in this focus on student engagement, the EAC supported Pratt student groups with active coaching to manage group finances, present rationale for future funding, and highlight the value of their group’s purpose. As alumni, we know how important these skills are in our post-graduation life.

“Thank you to all the Pratt Alumni who help elevate the school, current students, and fellow alumni. Go Duke!”

On April 21st, we will return to the usual format for the Engineering Awards Banquet to honor this year’s Distinguished Alumnus, Young Alumnus, and Service Award recipients. As in past years, this is a great opportunity to connect with former professors, current students, and fellow alumni. Please join us if your schedule allows or nominate a fellow Pratt alumnus you feel is worthy of one of these awards in the future. Stay on the lookout for further recognition of these awardees through profiles outlining their career accomplishments and connection to Duke in our July newsletter.

I am honored to take over as EAC President from Tracy Nickelsburg E’88, P’22, P’25. Her leadership of the EAC over the past three years, and of the leaders before her, has established a foundation of programs that enrich experiences for students and alumni alike—thank you! If you are interested in joining the EAC team to help carry these impactful initiatives forward, please reach out to pamela.hanson@duke.edu to get involved—you just might recognize her name from this year’s awards!

Thank you to all the Pratt Alumni who help elevate the school, current students, and fellow alumni. Go Duke!

Drew Romes E’02, B’10
President, Engineering Alumni Council