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About
About McKelvey Engineering
"The McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis is a leader in providing scientific insights and enabling technologies critical to solving fundamental research challenges of the world today and in preparing students for the rapidly changing world of tomorrow."
— Dean Aaron Bobick
No better name than McKelvey
The name McKelvey has a long history and bright future in engineering's role at Washington University in St. Louis.
The mission of the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis is to promote independent inquiry in engineering research and education with an emphasis on scientific excellence, innovation and collaboration without boundaries.
McKelvey Engineers produce new knowledge that changes the world, and our faculty are educating students to explore and create in a world we cannot yet imagine. Through research and education, we are making a positive impact on the local community, the country and the world.
Academic Departments
- Biomedical Engineering
- Computer Science & Engineering
- Division of Engineering Education
- Electrical & Systems Engineering
- Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science
- Sever Institute
- UMSL/WashU Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program
What lies ahead
As an engineering school, we need to adapt to the changing environment and to prepare our students to explore, create, and succeed in a world we cannot yet imagine. To address these needs, we have embarked on a five-year strategic plan that draws on our existing strengths to prepare students for the challenges ahead. Among the steps we’ve taken are launching new interdisciplinary programs in highly relevant areas including imaging sciences, data sciences, materials science, cybersecurity and combined programs with math and business.
McKelvey Engineering by the numbers
165
Full-time faculty
21K+
Engineering alumni
$57 million
in research awards (FY23)
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Jim McKelvey Jr. -
Jim McKelvey Jr. and his father, James McKelvey Sr.
About Jim McKelvey Jr.
Jim McKelvey Jr. is a successful serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Square,
View the Year in Review 2022-23
History of Engineering at Washington University
1857
The School of Engineering & Applied Science is inaugurated as the scientific department of the University.
1870-1896
Calvin M. Woodward serves as first dean. Woodward played a key role in developing engineering into a major academic division.
1896-1901
Edmund A. Engler serves as dean.
1902
The School of Engineering becomes the School of Engineering & Architecture; the School was separately organized in 1910.
1901-1910
Calvin M. Woodward serves as dean. This was Woodward’s second deanship.
1920-1928
Walter E. McCourt serves as dean.
1928-1948
Alexander S. Langsdorf serves as dean again, after working in industry for six years.
1948
The Sever Institute of Technology (Engineering graduate school) is founded as Sever Hall opens on the Hilltop Campus (now Danforth Campus).
1948-1954
Lawrence E. Stout serves as dean. He was influential in plans for collaborative research efforts between the School and industry.
1954-1964
Donald A. Fisher serves as dean. An expert in patent law, Fisher practiced law in St. Louis before joining the University as an instructor of electronic engineering.
1964
To help practicing engineers stay current with the profession through specialized courses, seminars and conferences; The Institute for Continuing Studies was founded.
1964
Jerome R. Cox Jr. brought LINC (The Laboratory Instrument Computer) and its development team to WashU from MIT. LINC transformed biomedical research by integrating computer science with medicine, allowing researchers to program data analysis on the fly.
1964-1991
James M. McKelvey serves as dean.
1965
Bryan Hall completed.
1991-2006
Christopher I. Byrnes serves as dean.
2002
Whitaker Hall is completed.
2003
The Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering and the Department of Computer Science & Engineering are formed following mergers.
2006-2008
Mary J. Sansalone serves as the school’s ninth dean.
2006
The first of its kind in the U.S., the Department of Energy, Environmental & Chemical Engineering is founded through a merger of the graduate Engineering Environmental Science program and the Department of Chemical Engineering.
2007
Inspired by the legacy of former Dean McKelvey, The McKelvey Undergraduate Research Scholars Program is created for students to work on cutting-edge research projects with faculty from Engineering, Medicine, or the Sciences.
2008
Salvatore P. Sutera serves as interim dean.
2010
The Department of Mechanical, Aerospace & Structural Engineering becomes the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science.
2010-2015
Ralph S. Quatrano serves as dean.
2014
W.E. Moerner (EN ’75) wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
2016
National Science Foundation Science and Technology Center for Engineering MechanoBiology (CEMB) is formed to investigate biology’s mechanics.
2019
The School of Engineering & Applied Science renamed the James McKelvey School of Engineering in honor of trustee and distinguished alumnus Jim McKelvey Jr., who made an unprecedented and transformative investment in the school.
Jubel Hall is completed and the East End of the Danforth Campus is dedicated