William H. Robinson III, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer engineering, and Doug Schmidt, professor of computer engineering and computer science, have been named to committees tasked with fleshing out key initiatives in Vanderbilt’s Academic Strategic Plan.
Members of the immersion experience and cross-college teaching committees are set, announced John Geer, vice provost for academic and strategic affairs.
The Immersion Vanderbilt Initiative calls for all university undergraduates to immerse themselves in creative independent projects that give them the opportunity to engage, question and forge change. Robinson has been appointed to the 14-member committee.
The parameters of Immersion Vanderbilt are to be kept broad and flexible, so students have the opportunity to work with a faculty mentor to forge a project that has the capacity to shape them for the rest of their lives.
“Many students already have these kinds of experiences at Vanderbilt,” Geer said. “But given the quality of our students and their ability to work with our amazing faculty across 10 world-class colleges, we want to extend this opportunity to all Vanderbilt students.”
Also staffed is the committee for the Cross-College Teaching Initiative, which will assist faculty as they strive to conceive and structure innovative courses that exploit the natural synergies among Vanderbilt’s 10 colleges. Schmidt has been appointed to this 10-member committee.
The committee will offer support, including incentives, to professors who wish to team teach with colleagues in other schools. The result should be innovative courses that break through traditional school boundaries, such as Law and Education, Demography and Health, or Music and Business.
Contact:
Brenda Ellis, (615) 343-6314
Brenda.Ellis@Vanderbilt.edu
Twitter @VUEngineering