Governance
Dear Friend of ICTAS:
At Virginia Tech, we have ambitious goals in research and graduate education, and the Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science (ICTAS) under the leadership of director Roop Mahajan and led by the College of Engineering is helping us realize our aspirations.
ICTAS is a remarkable growth story for Virginia Tech. Permit me to elaborate.
In the early part of this decade, the University made the decision to proceed with the idea of creating a research institute. A devoted core of engineering and science alumni helped to provide the groundwork to launch this new model of conducting research at Virginia Tech. Committees composed of faculty and administrators from several of Virginia Tech's colleges as well as the central administration planned the Institutes financial model and governing structure. With the groundwork done, we went to work.
In 2005, we started construction on the first ICTAS building. As many of you know, and mentioned in greater detail elsewhere in this inaugural newsletter, ICTAS-A in the Corporate Research Center, is home to the Nanoscale Characterization and Fabrication Lab (NCFL). It gives us capabilities in nanotechnology on par with the best labs in the world. We took occupancy of ICTAS-A in March.
A formal dedication of the NCFL is planned for the fall 2007 meeting of the College of Engineering's Advisory Board and Committee of 100. This will be an excellent opportunity for many of our greatest benefactors to see the excellent progress being made by ICTAS.
In 2006, we broke ground on ICTAS-I, and the Virginia General Assembly included funding for the ICTAS-II building. At approximately 100,000 square feet, ICTAS I-will provide flexible and adaptable lab space for multidisciplinary research in the fields of information technology, biomedical, biotechnology, and advanced materials testing and characterization. ICTAS-I will provide an environment that permits advanced engineering research to occur collaboratively. Throughout the life of the building, it must be able to be modified to match the continual rollover of research activities. ICTAS-II is under design.
In 2006, we also successfully recruited Roop Mahajan who emerged from a highly competitive search and brings to Virginia Tech a 30-year record of research excellence at Bell Labs and the University of Colorado. Dr. Mahajan is an internationally known researcher with expertise ranging from nanotechnology to bio micro-electro-mechanical systems (Bio-MEMS). Dr. Mahajans efforts in these interdisciplinary fields, as well in cellular engineering microsystems (CEMS), artificial neural networks, humanistic engineering, thermal sciences, and solar energy, makes him a true Renaissance man for the ICTAS directorship.
Later this summer, ICTAS will be the centerpiece of an August meeting of the Commonwealth of Virginias Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) to be held in Blacksburg. This will go a long way in showcasing Virginia Tech's growing capabilities in engineering and science with key senators and delegates of the Commonwealth.
In summary, ICTAS, in less than two years, has hired a renowned director, built a new building with the finest state-of-the-art equipment dedicated to efforts in advanced materials, begun construction of a second new building to open in 2008, and started the design of a third building. We are realizing early research successes with our School of Biomedical Engineering and Science, part of ICTAS, as well as with our nanotechnology efforts.
We hope you share in the excitement ICTAS is bringing to the Virginia Tech campus and to the Commonwealth.
Sincerely,
Richard C. Benson
Dean of Engineering
Chair, ICTAS Stakeholders Committee
Paul and Dorothea Torgersen Chair of Engineering