Dear PAASE Symposium Participants:

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On behalf of the faculty, staff and students of the School of Engineering and Applied Science of George Washington University I am happy to welcome you the 2016 annual PAASE meeting and symposium.   We are delighted and proud to be hosting your meeting and wish you a productive and very enjoyable time. I urge you to come a day or two early, or stay over a day or two, and get to know our beautiful city, Washington DC.

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I also hope that while you are here, in our fabulous new building, the Science and Engineering Hall (SEH) that you will have a chance to walk around and explore. We moved in in January 2015. The light-filled and open commons spaces, the glass walled studio classrooms and teaching and research labs, all in close proximity to one another, have been designed to encourage collaboration and promote interdisciplinary education and research. These spaces, where our students and faculty teach and learn, discover and invent, are proving to be exactly what we expected of them: the enabler of our ambitions. As you walk around don’t be shy about asking questions. Our faculty and students will be happy to tell you about their work.

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Today, scientists and engineers are key players in meeting many of the most pressing global challenges from renewable energy to access to clean water to securing cyberspace.  Success hinges on attracting the most diverse talent pool into our fields, revitalizing education, changing the societal understanding of what engineering, science and technology is, and infusing innovation and entrepreneurship into all that we do.  We must all face and successfully negotiate an information explosion and fierce global competition. You all play a very important role in attaining these goals and I congratulate you, and thank you, on rising to meet these challenges.

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Finally, enjoy the meeting. Ask questions, participate in discussions, meet new people and develop new and lasting friendships. Welcome to GW and Washington DC.

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David S Dolling, Dean