YEAR ZERO Cover design by Taylor Woods (Art ‘15) YEAR ZERO THE PIONEER 2013/2014 TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 NEWS 43 FACES OF COOPER 25 EVENTS 59 ALUMNI INTERVIEWS 39 EDITORIALS 70 CLOSING PAGE Section illustrations by Laura Quan (CE ‘15) NEWS THE PIONEER 2013/2014 INTERVIEW WITH DR. DAHLBERG, DEAN OF ENGINEERING Saimon Sharif (ChE ‘15) & Caroline Yu (EE ‘15) Originally Printed in Issue #1 This past Wednesday, the Cooper Pioneer a service-learning program that was still an undergraduate. interviewed the new Dean of Engineering, engages college students in building Dr. Teresa Dahlberg. the science, technology, engineering TCP: Do you enjoy teaching, conducting and math (STEM) K-12 pipeline, as research, or managing the most? The Cooper Pioneer: Do you mind giving a way to strengthen the leadership TD: I’ve enjoyed them all at different some background on your education and skills of college students majoring in points in my career. One of the things past job experiences? engineering and computing. Over eight I love about being a professor - and I’m Teresa Dahlberg: Sure! I received a B.S. years, 50 colleges and universities in the always telling students to think about in Electrical Engineering, and worked country have adopted our program and the professoriate as a career - you can for IBM as a hardware and software participated in the consortium. Since evolve your focus and change what you development engineer for 10 years. I’ve done a lot of teaching, curriculum do over time. I like doing something I later received an M.S. and PhD in development, project management and when I feel like I’m at the edge of computer engineering and then moved research, a dean’s position seemed like confidence. I want to feel challenged to a faculty position. I’ve been a faculty the next challenge. and a little bit scared: “Oh I have to learn member in electrical and computer this. I have to figure out how to do it.” engineering in a college of engineering. TCP: Why did you choose to pursue Once I get really good at something it In the last dozen years, I’ve been in electrical and specifically computer gets a little bit boring. When I was in a computer science department in a engineering? product development, it was fun for 5 college of computing and informatics. TD: I started out as a music therapy years - brand new environment. I was major. I was encouraged by my high intimidated by more experienced people. TCP: What prompted you to move school piano teacher to pursue music. After a few years it was “I could do this” into an administrative role from a I didn’t want to do performance, so I then it was “I could do this in my sleep.” I teaching role? focused on music therapy. In the 1980s loved teaching and it was all consuming TD: I’ve actually been in administrative this was a new field, using music and in the early years. When you’re teaching roles for a number of years. I’ve been peoples’ interactions with music in you’re helping develop another person. at UNC Charlotte – a teaching and therapy. I was this music therapy major, I loved starting up my programs in research university. So, in addition but I loved and missed math. I ended up wireless networking and in computing to teaching classes, I had to build a being the girl in my dorm that helped education research. When you’re doing funded research program. In so doing, I everyone with their math problems even research, you’re doing the work yourself; started a wireless networking research though I didn’t have any math courses. then you’re building a team and building lab and founded a research center After the first year I wanted to change bridges between people to do larger called the Diversity in Information majors. A friend’s father said, “Why don’t projects. As a manager you’re helping to Technology Institute. In the latter, our you try engineering? It’s math-based.” So facilitate other people. You’re putting the focus was on enhancing computing it was a leap of faith. I changed my major. vision and the team together. education as well as attracting a larger I’ve taken lots of risks in my life - like and broader group of people to the coming here. I look at the options and TCP: What attracted you to Cooper discipline. I’ve managed lots of projects, then I go with my gut. When I entered Union? having been a principal investigator engineering, I took the typical survey TD: A search firm contacted me and for over $20 million in grants. I was class that goes through all the different convinced me to apply. I became also associate dean of a computing and kinds of engineering majors. Electrical intrigued during the first interview informatics college with oversight for seemed to be the one I least understood with the search committee. There the undergraduate programs in the because it was more abstract, but it was something special about The college. We had about 1400 students – seemed more mathematical. It, again, Cooper Union. It’s a close and intimate including over 1000 undergraduates. I was a leap of faith. I became more atmosphere. The students are very also founded a consortium called the interested in computer engineering a high-achievers and are nice people. I STARS Computing Corps, which is now few years later when it was introduced like the focus solely on engineering, art a non-profit company. We developed as a new undergraduate program while I and architecture in culturally rich New 6 NEWS Photo Credit: Jenna Lee (ME ‘15) York City. I saw unique opportunities for special attributes of The Cooper Union, TD: I think that the engineering school’s interdisciplinary collaborations on and especially to incoming students as curriculum is highly competitive. In off campus. I read the papers, and my well as to companies and graduate and particular, it’s very rigorous. It seems to colleagues were sending me links asking professional schools. I also want to work be highly project oriented, which I think “Are you crazy?!” I’m very much an with faculty and students to not only is great. There are a lot of opportunities optimist. I just don’t let problems deter maintain, but to enhance our academic for unique experiential learning – like me. I thought “Well, there’s a challenge.” excellence, for example by insuring Invention Factory, internships, research It’s a high risk – high reward position. that our curriculum is responsive to the experiences – lots of competitions. They could close engineering and I’m out New York City job market and to the There are rich experiences for the of a job. But if we succeed, the decisions global need for engineering to address students. If we look at the national and we’re making over the next year or two important societal problems. regional landscape for engineering – will set the course of the institution what is needed for the 21st engineer, I for the next 100 years. I feel optimistic TCP: How do you like living in NYC? Is think we can use some tweaks. New York that we can make it clear to the outside this your first time living here? City has set this aggressive goal to be world how amazing this place is. The TD: Yes it’s my first time living here. the East Coast Silicon Valley, and there reward will be having been a part of the I love it. It’s very different for me. I’ve are a lot of startups and technology. rejuvenation of this unique institution. always lived in suburban neighborhoods. Even though we’re small and there are I left my big house in Charlotte. I left my lots of big players in the city, I think we TCP: What has surprised you the most car. I’m very close to the college. I’m on have an opportunity to create a niche since coming to Cooper? foot – living in an apartment – and I love and a unique contribution. When we TD: The closeness of faculty-student it! It’s a completely different lifestyle. look back ten years from now, when NYC collaborations. When I talk to faculty, There are so many things going on in the reaches it’s goal, Cooper Union should even the faculty that are frustrated, city. I think it’ll be a long time before it be remembered as a player in that. when they start talking about their wears off. students, they become passionate. TCP: What advice do you have for The students are wicked smart but, TCP: What are some of your hobbies? Cooper students or faculty? again, very nice people. The students TD: I work a lot, and I spent a lot of time TD: The advice I have for Cooper Union really seem to enjoy the intellectual with my daughter, Kristen, who’s 15, our students is to stay optimistic. This is a environment. dog Clyde, and my husband Brian. I have great place to be. It’s going to continue a 22 year old son, Nathan, but he’s on his to be a great place. I think students TCP: What are your main goals as the own in graduate school. I like to run, lift come here knowing they have to do new Dean of Engineering? weights, listen to music, and read. These well in class, and I’m told students take TD: Since arriving I’ve continued to are my stress relieving activities.