Unbound Winter 2015 | Page 2

W ELC O M E FR O M TH E D EA N T he traditional view of engineering is that it is a numbers-driven discipline. Certainly there is much truth to that stereotype. Engineering is grounded in data, and engineers are by definition problem solvers. But one thing I’ve learned during my tenure as dean is that there is so much more to engineering — especially engineering as practiced at U.Va. — that transcends the stereotype. In addition to analytical ability, successful engineering requires the creativity of the arts, the empathy and conceptual imagination of the social sciences, and the critical thinking and communication skills of the humanities. Engineers need these skills if they are to harness the full power of engineering for the benefit of society. Our purpose in selecting subjects for this issue of UNBOUND was to highlight undergraduates, graduate students and faculty who embody, in their own ways, the breadth and depth that U.Va. engineering represents, who set new standards for excellence. As a school, it is critical that we continue to attract people who share these qualities. We have been notably successful in persuading the most talented undergraduate students in the nation to join us. We have significantly improved the quality of our graduate program. And we have attracted outstanding scholars and teachers both to grow our faculty and to replace professors who are retiring. The competition at all levels for these exceptional individuals is intense. Thanks to the support of the University and the Engineering School community, we will continue to succeed in bringing them to U.Va. J A M E S H. AY L O R Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science Louis T. Rader Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering U.Va. ENGINEERING UNBOUND 2 Editors Charlie Feigenoff Josie Pipkin Art Director Travis Searcy, Mountain High Media Photography Tom Cogill (unless otherwise noted) U.Va. Engineering UNBOUND is published by the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia. An online version of the magazine is available at www.seas.virginia.edu/pubs/unbound. Address corrections to U.Va. Engineering Foundation, P.O. Box 400256, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4256, or email to [email protected]. Cover After building its reputation as a producer of memory chips, Micron Technology has introduced the Automata Processor. This novel processor has the potential to eliminate computational roadblocks to research in fields like bioinformatics and network security.