Ira A. Fulton College: a season of success and growth

Michael A. Jensen has been appointed as the dean for the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology. Professors Larry Howell, mechanical engineering, and Vincent Wilding, chemical engineering, have been named as associate deans. 

Jensen is a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, having served as the chair over that department from 2006-2012. Jensen earned a doctoral degree in electrical engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in electrical engineering from BYU. Read his full bio. 

Jensen replaces Alan R. Parkinson who has been serving as dean since 2005. Dean Parkinson served with associate deans Spencer Magleby and David Long. Under their administration, the Ira A. Fulton College experienced unprecedented growth and the faculty, staff and students accomplished many great things.

“Alan has demonstrated vision, strategic thinking and energy in his service as dean,” said Academic Vice President Brent W. Webb. “He has exercised strong advocacy of the college and its programs and faculty, and he has brought keen insights to the university. The university is particularly grateful for his leadership in planning a new engineering building and raising funds for its construction.”

We express thanks for the dedication and hard work of Dean Parkinson and his staff, and look forward to many more successful years under the leadership of Dean Jensen.

College Highlights 2005-2016

	Enrollment has soared, going from 2,319 in 2005 to breaking 4,000 students for the first time in Winter 2016. Mechanical engineering was the most declared major in the university for the incoming class in 2014.
	With the college experiencing so much growth, BYU approved raising funds for and the design of a new engineering building. After more than 18,000 supporters donated the required $80 million, BYU broke ground on the new building on May 9, 2016. The new 200,000 square foot building is scheduled to be completed by Fall 2018.
	WE@BYU: Women in Engineering and Technology helps to recruit, retain and support the college's female students and alumni. Since 2010, WE has awarded 151 mentorships, a total of $226,500, giving first- and second-year students the opportunity to be mentored by faculty while working on real research projects in labs.
	The faculty and students of the college regularly receive national recognition for their work. Highlights include taking first place at competitions like the Technology & Engineering Education Collegiate Association conference, Formula Hybrid SAE competition (2012), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Academic Olympiad (2015), and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) competition (2009, 2010, 2014).
	Students of the college continue to be heavily recruited, with over 180 employers attending the BYU Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Career Fair in Fall 2015.
	In 2011, a generous $10 million donation from alumni Dave and Rachel Weidman enabled the college to establish the Weidman Center for Global Leadership. The center’s aim is to assist students to become outstanding leaders in a global context and to provide them with resources and opportunities to do so.
	Dedicated alumni and friends of the college formed the Advancement Council for Engineering and Technology (ACET) in 2006. ACET has offered not only financial support to the college, but also provided invaluable mentoring and guidance in the areas of leadership, innovation, globalization and recruitment of women.
	Since the 2010 launch of the Student Innovator of the Year competition, many participants have gone on to be wildly successful. Projects which have far extended beyond BYU’s campus include a baby vitals monitor, Owlet, which has raised $7 million in funding, and a smart band kid tracker, Kiband, which won the Rice University business plan competition and $500,000 in cash and prizes.
	BYU engineering and technology students have been very successful in obtaining prestigious national fellowships, often valued at more than $100K. In 2015, students in our college were awarded 5 NSF, 1 NDSEG and 3 NASA fellowships, a record number for one year.