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In the next five years, we will:

• Be the preeminent department addressing the grand interdisciplinary challenges of aerospace engineering and sciences.��
• Be in key national leadership positions to influence the direction and agenda of aerospace research.
• Be a premier academic partner for government and industry around the world.
• Be a leader of entrepreneurial aerospace ventures that impact our society.

To enable this vision, we will:

• Place 25% of our faculty in key national leadership positions (e.g., National Academy Advisory Boards, NASA Advisory Council) to influence the direction and agenda of aerospace engineering research.
• Pursue at least three new or evolved research thrusts in key future aerospace research areas that will have impact in 20+ years.
• Identify and invest in three to five department or college-led interdisciplinary and global research themes that increase our research impact by deepening our collaboration across the college, campus, and institutes.
• Invest in expanding, upgrading, and maintaining our facilities to meet the evolving needs and standards of our research projects.
• Establish and deepen embedded/integrated working relationships with five key agencies and organizations in the aerospace sector, such as the Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, NASA, Department of Energy, etc.
• Increase entrepreneurial opportunities for our faculty, staff, and students by providing more support, resources, and incentives for technology transfer, commercialization, and start-up creation.

In the next five years, we will:

• Be the aerospace department of choice for undergraduate and graduate students committed to addressing the most critical challenges in our field.��
• Be the academic home for our students to thrive and complete their aerospace degrees.
• Be a department that embraces and advances experiential innovations and use of technology to improve student outcomes.
• Be a leading member of the international aerospace education community.

To enable this vision, we will:

• Enhance experiential learning in our curriculum that will expose our students to the latest technologies and industry needs in aerospace engineering (e.g., 3D printing, simulations, visualizations, and data analytics).
• Incorporate modern technology in the delivery and assessment of our courses to enhance the student experience and our new curriculum.
• Improve student retention by supporting college and campus-level community-building initiatives providing excellent academic support, advising, and counseling services to our students.
• Increase industry’s engagement with all students beyond senior projects by creating more opportunities for co-ops, internships, mentorships, and capstone projects.
• Expand our educational offerings and outreach through new courses and programs that cater to the emerging needs and interests of our current and prospective students and working professionals who want to update/expand their skills, such as online degrees, certificates, minors, and concentrations.
• Conduct engineering education research to identify best practices and innovations in pedagogy and curriculum design.
• Increase and monitor the placement of Smead Aerospace graduates in academic and industry leadership positions in the U.S. and abroad.
• Increase our outreach efforts to K-12 schools and the public to inspire the next generation of aerospace engineers and scientists.
• Establish partnerships with universities abroad to facilitate “study abroad” and research internships for our students, and to leverage these collaborations for graduate student recruitment and research cooperation.
• Increase the exposure of our students to global issues and perspectives in aerospace engineering through guest lectures, seminars, and online courses.

In the next five years, we will:

• Be a department that attracts and retains the best talent from diverse backgrounds, both domestic and international.��
• Be a community where the domestic student, staff, and faculty populations resemble Colorado’s demographics.
• Be a community that transcends individual differences to actualize the vision of aerospace excellence and inclusion.
• Be the Colorado leader for aerospace education through outreach and partnerships with diverse institutions and organizations.

To enable this vision, we will:

• Assess internal department communication to our students, faculty, and staff and evolve communication pathways for improved flow of information.
• Implement inclusive admissions, hiring, and retention practices that attract and retain the best talent from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
• Establish three new endowed chairs, professorships, or fellow positions to support faculty retention.
• Fully endow the three department PhD graduate assistantships.
• Educate faculty and staff on how the department runs and how decisions are made to increase transparency and accountability.
• Educate all members of our community on inclusion principles and practices to increase awareness and sensitivity.
• Develop strategic relationships with five Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) or rural institutions to increase the diversity and inclusion of our educational and research community.
• Be a national leader supporting international students who wish to secure aerospace-relevant employment in the U.S.
• Collaborate with other departments, colleges, universities, industry partners, and community organizations that share our vision and values.