Bold. Innovative. Revolutionary. Here at the Cullen College of Engineering, we strive for excellence and to be the leader in cutting-edge research and technology. With more than $50 million in research expenditures, the highest of any academic unit at the University of Houston, we have proven ourselves to be a Research Enterprise Powerhouse. Every day, our faculty and students work together to conduct innovative and impactful research to help find answers to real-world issues, be it using artificial intelligence to help define the future of the battlefield or developing measures that best serve our health and medical needs while also finding new purposeful ways to reuse plastic wastes.

These enormous strides we’ve made as a college community in the last few decades are astounding, and our college is at a critical juncture and poised to reach even greater heights. For instance, the University of Houston was awarded a $63.5 million contract by the U.S. Department of Defense to enhance the Army’s decision-making capabilities. It is the largest contract or grant ever awarded to the University of Houston, and our very own civil and environmental engineering professor, Dr. Craig Glennie, will be leading this project along with a team of researchers focused on helping the Army to build realistic modeling using artificial intelligence and machine learning. To continue our climb, Dr. Jeffrey Rimer and Dr. Megan Robertson received funding from The Welch Foundation totaling $9 million to establish two new Welch Centers. These are just a few examples of the great work showcased in this issue of Parameters.

You will also have a chance to read about our student successes and how our alumni are making an impact in our college and beyond. These stories show why we are engineered for what’s next.

Warm regards,

Pradeep Sharma
Interim Dean of the Cullen College of Engineering
Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished University Chair