Climbing to the next level: From Excellence to Impact

The McKelvey School of Engineering is embarking on a comprehensive and future-looking strategic plan to guide it into 2030. Steering committee co-chairs Katharine Flores, the Christopher I. Byrnes Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, and Chao Zhou, professor of biomedical engineering, are leading a team of faculty and staff who have crafted a plan to improve education, research and innovation, and work environment and culture that will encompass faculty, students, staff, postdoctoral researchers and the St. Louis community.

“This long-term vision builds on the previous school strategic plan of 2017 and is informed by the university’s Here and Next strategic plan, with an emphasis on particular research domains, digital transformation and community,” said Aaron Bobick, dean and the James M. McKelvey Professor.

“Deliberate implementation of our previous plan resulted in our ability to execute our education and research missions effectively, as evidenced by our recent growth and successes. With these new, global-context-aware initiatives, McKelvey Engineering is poised to advance significantly by 2030.”

Deliberate implementation of our previous plan resulted in our ability to execute our education and research missions effectively, as evidenced by our recent growth and successes. With these new, global-context-aware initiatives, McKelvey Engineering is poised to advance significantly by 2030.”

– AARON BOBICK

“This road map guides priorities and action plans that build on the strong foundation while adding adaptations to the post-pandemic environment,” said Flores, also the director of the Institute of Materials Science & Engineering. “It allows the school to continue existing collaborations with other schools within the university while creating space for new opportunities.”

The school has identified four strategic priorities to help achieve its vision over the next seven years: to generate scholarship that transcends engineering disciplines; to engage students with experiential and industry-based learning activities; to drive innovation, industrial impact and entrepreneurship; and to cultivate healthy and inclusive environments for employees.

Among the goals for education is providing a cross-disciplinary engineering curriculum to prepare students to be leaders in their chosen engineering field, whether it be research and academia or in industry. In addition, the committee is discussing new disciplines and degree programs to further set the school apart among its peers.

“For McKelvey to continue providing an elite engineering education and remain competitive in higher education, we must deliver an exquisite student experience that strikes a better balance between demanding curricula and well-rounded, experiential learning opportunities,” Zhou said. “We want our students to be as prepared as they can be for not only their first job, but for continuing education and their entire careers.”

While McKelvey Engineering has long been a leader in research, a new goal is to make it a nationally recognized leader in a few key initiatives as well as in translational artificial intelligence and data-driven research. In addition, a schoolwide innovation and entrepreneurship strategy would position the school as a research partner for startup companies and industry and as an economic driver for the St. Louis region. Other goals include positioning McKelvey Engineering as a destination employer for researchers at the top of their fields and providing support to faculty members early in their careers. 

The committee’s workplace and culture goals envision faculty and staff benefitting from an investment in onboarding, learning and development and career progression opportunities as well as opportunities to be creative and collaborative. Another goal is to create a work environment in which equity, diversity and inclusion principles are ingrained within the culture, and to ensure that accountability, transparency and inclusion are a part of all decisions made within the school.