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During his 31 years at CU-Boulder,��Dean Robert H. Davis��has worn many hats. As a professor in the Chemical Engineering Department specializing in fluid mechanics, he was a staple teacher of the transport phenomenon and analytical methods classes. He served multiple terms as the ChBE department chair and, in 2002, became Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science. Throughout, he has maintained his research program, which has included complex fluids, membrane separations, biotechnology and microfluidics. We asked Dean Davis to reflect on his time at CU and his thoughts on the college’s future.

How has the college changed in the last 30 years?

I think the biggest change is that we have transformed from a largely teaching institution with a $2M annual research budget to a first-class research institution now bringing in more than $70M annually in research dollars. Another significant change has been the increase by 30-40 percent in student enrollment in the last five to six years.

If you were to start over as a freshman at CU, what major would you pursue?

When I went to college, chemical engineering was the best way of marrying my two favorite fields, math and science. However, I have also always had a huge love of biology and living organisms, so if I could do it over, I would major in Chemical and Biological Engineering.

What is your vision for the college?

Our college already has a strong global vision of solving engineering problems that help our world, from research on health and security to Bernard Amadei’s founding of Engineers Without Borders. I would like to strengthen this vision and become widely recognized as the best engineering college in the region and one of the best in the world, with a strong focus on engineering for global society. To do this, I believe it will be important to grow our faculty and student numbers; for instance, we plan to double enrollment from 4,000 students six years ago to 8,000 students by the end of the decade. To accommodate this growth, half of the college will probably move to the east campus in the next 10-20 years.

How has dwindling state support affected CU?

In order to compensate for decreasing state support in the last several years, tuition has increased at a rate greater than inflation. However, now that state support is so low, future increases in tuition may be more in line with inflation. I think the greatest impact going forward will be on capital support for buildings and endowed chairs. Fortunately, research grants have doubled from $35M to $70M in the past 6-7 years and private donations have also increased substantially.

Your research has been in membrane and fluid dynamics, and you continue to be active in these areas. Where will membrane and fluid dynamics research head in the future?

These fields are very important to hot topics such as water, energy and healthcare. For example, membranes are used in desalination and waste cleanup; knowledge of complex fluids with drops and participles is critical in squeezing more energy from the ground; and an understanding of fundamental transport phenomenon is needed to engineer proper drug delivery. I think these fields will only grow in importance in the future.

Do you still bike and run every day?

I bike in to work "eight days” a week, including twice on Saturday. I also run at least four days a week during lunchtime; it helps me stay focused in the afternoon.

Future plans?

I enjoy what I am doing and expect to continue as dean for a few more years. While I have no aspirations to move up the chain in academics, I would love to come back to the department; I miss teaching and more direct interactions with students.