Voiland College and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

Dear Colle​agues,

Last Monday, President Biden signed into law the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will allocate more than $1 trillion to repair and upgrade the nation’s infrastructure.

This is good news for our country and for our college. Included in the law is $550 billion of new federal investments in America’s infrastructure over five years, touching everything from airports, bridges, and roads to the nation’s broadband, water and energy systems, and the equitable and sustainable ways we can improve them.

Voiland College is uniquely positioned to make major contributions to this important effort. As part of our current $30+ million annual research portfolio, we are home to many research efforts that intersect with this national priority, including the National Center for Transportation Infrastructure Durability & Life-Extension, or TriDurLe, one of seven national University Transportation Centers and the only one focusing on “Improving the Durability and Extending the Life of Transportation Infrastructure.”

In addition, we are home of the Energy Systems Innovation Center and WSU-PNNL Advanced Grid Institute which are national leaders in the areas of electric power and power grid research, education, and outreach.

Our college is also home to renowned catalysis researchers who are exploring new methods to create cleaner sources of energy, such as jet fuel made from recycled plastic.

WSU will be working with its legislative delegation to ensure our researchers have an opportunity to be a part of this vital effort. I encourage each of you to consider how we can contribute and reach out to your colleagues and department leaders with your ideas.

Passage of the infrastructure bill comes at much-need time. As noted in the August 27 memo from Stacy Pearson, WSU VP of Finance and Administration, colleges throughout the university, including our own, are currently operating under 7.5% reductions in our core funds relative to the pre-pandemic budgets. Unfortunately, with the continuing projected decline in tuition and other core revenues from lower student enrollment, we have been asked to plan to operate under this reduced budget for the next three fiscal years.

This continuing budget reduction will have near-term effects on many of our day-to-day operations, including delaying a few of our important facu​lty hire searches. I will be working with unit leaders to adapt our college’s budget to ensure that this reduction has the smallest impact possible on our faculty, staff, and students.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I encourage you all to take some time to rest and recuperate over the long weekend. I also would like to offer my thanks to each of you who have been working so hard to help our students, staff, and faculty overcome the many challenges we are facing today. As your dean, I consider myself lucky to be working with so many talented people who are committed to our college’s success, and for that I am truly grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Mary Rezac's signature.

Mary Rezac
Dean, Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture
Washington State University
Email: mary.rezac@wsu.edu
Phone: 509-335-5593