Greetings , colleagues .
The 2019-2020 academic year has been one unlike any I can remember . The challenges of facing COVID-19 and its effects on campuses around the globe have necessitated a great deal of creativity to find new ways to serve our students , our industry partners , our medical service providers , and our community . I have been proud to work with a dedicated and talented team to achieve all of those objectives .
To serve our students , we have rapidly pushed academics online to allow students to continue or finish their education . Our faculty already had a series of take-home labs , and those unique tools have enabled the expansion of those methods and experiences to other classes .
Serving our industry partners and sponsors has meant working within the confines of state-mandated closures , but new opportunities became available . While some labs went offline temporarily , new projects have still been initiated , including those funded by new NSF CAREER Awards and Young Investigator Awards . Our faculty have continued to innovate , and we have enjoyed media recognition of some exciting breakthroughs .
Working with the medical community to provide resources throughout these past few months has been a particular point of pride . Many of our labs have retooled and repurposed to fill the shortage of personal protective equipment ( PPE ). It has been inspiring to see our teams of students and faculty come together for the common good . You will read more about that effort in the section dedicated to our fight against the coronavirus .
Of course , the obstacles have not been small . I am proud to say that our department has found creative ways to flourish in the most challenging times and continue its path to greater excellence . I invite you to read about them in this report .
Among the features are our new undergraduate curriculum and laboratories , creating unprecedented hands-on opportunities for our students , a set of remarkable research achievements , and a host of impressive awards and recognitions of our team . We are most thankful to our supporters , alumni , and friends who kept contributing to our department throughout these unprecedented times .
Azim Eskandarian , D . Sc .
Department Head and Nicholas and Rebecca Des Champs Chair Virginia Tech Mechanical Engineering