Shaping Tomorrow's
Technologies
Solid Foundation
for Projected Growth
Enterprising Research
and Teaching Initiatives
Campaign for Delaware:
Postioning the College
for the Challenges Ahead
The College of Engineering at the University of Delaware traces its roots back to 1839 when William Norton, who later became Professor of Civil Engineering, joined the faculty of what was then Delaware College. With the addition of programs in mechanical and electrical engineering in 1891, the popularity of engineering grew so robustly that, by the turn of the century, half of the undergraduate degrees granted at Delaware College were in engineering.
In response to the many opportunities in the region’s industry, chemical engineering was established as a fourth engineering program in 1914. Under the leadership of Professor Allan P. Colburn, who was appointed chair in 1938, the department began its ascent to the high level of prestige that it holds today. A fifth engineering department was created in 1998 when the College’s long-standing graduate program in materials science was granted departmental status.
Our 1,000 undergraduates comprise only about seven percent of the undergraduates at the University, but they are the cream of the crop. Each year, some one-third of them participate in the University’s Honors Program, comprising nearly a quarter of all Honors students. By the time our students graduate, they are well prepared for the demands of their careers in industry, government, and academia with a well-rounded education that is strong in engineering fundamentals and design. They have been exposed to, and many times participated in, research at the forefront of their fields, and their educational experiences have been enhanced by exposure to sophisticated research equipment and the opportunity to interact with the College’s many industry connections.