10/30/2017 Heather Coit
On an overcast afternoon on October 10, about a quarter of Engineering’s 400+ faculty gathered for group photos on the back patio of Engineering Hall. The evening forecast of rain didn’t dampen the mood of faculty, as veteran photographer, Darrell Hoemann, a commercially licensed drone operator since 2015, set up his equipment nearby.
Written by Heather Coit
On an overcast afternoon on October 10, about a quarter of Engineering’s 400+ faculty gathered for group photos on the back patio of Engineering Hall. The evening forecast of rain didn’t dampen the mood of faculty, as veteran photographer, Darrell Hoemann, a commercially licensed drone operator since 2015, set up his equipment nearby.
Past and present came together to celebrate the 150-year anniversary of Illinois behind the building that dates back to 1894. The same building provided a backdrop for Engineering faculty on Oct. 9, 1914, when they also posed for a group photo. That photo, displayed with other historical photos on a third-floor wall in the Dean’s office, caught the attention of Engineering professors, David Padua (CS) and David Lange (CEE). With the University celebrating its sesquicentennial, the professors were inspired to bring current faculty together for a new picture.
Hoemann’s drone quickly drew attention of the present engineering faculty before Bob Coverdill, a 2016 retiree from the Mechanical Science and Engineering (MechSE) department, performed a test flight. The pair was also responsible for capturing a birds-eye view of about 1,500 engineering freshmen as they posed for a group photo for the Freshman Launch outside Krannert Center for the Performing Arts on August 26.
This time around, it was the faculty’s turn to be celebrated for their contributions to the University.
Sir Anthony Leggett, winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physics, was among the crowd who gazed up at the drone during its practice run. Harry Dankowicz, MechSE professor and associate dean for graduate, professional and online education, joined others like Brian Cunningham, professor and director of the Micro and Nanotechnology Lab (MNTL)MNTL, King Li, dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, and of course, Andreas Cangellaris, Dean of the College of Engineering.
With faces turned skyward at the drone, which sounded like a swarm of bees, the neatly assembled group smiled and even waved for their photo.
As some faculty lingered to visit awhile, eventually they all left to return to their offices, their labs, their students and their work; work that will help continue the College of Engineering’s role as a leader in technology and innovation for another 150 years and beyond.
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