College professors and researchers have traditionally been judged in large part on their academic writings—as in the old axiom of “publish or perish.”
Greg Washington has a different view that calls for academia to get more involved in the business world that buzzes beyond leafy campuses. It’s “partner or perish” for the new dean of engineering at the University of California, Irvine.
Washington is walking the walk. He’s wasted no time in building a network of influential Orange County executives since he arrived on campus three months ago. His goal is to set a new standard in public-private partnerships.
Washington already has sat down with a local A list that includes: Henry Sam-ueli, the engineering school’s namesake and cofounder of Irvine chipmaker Broadcom Corp.; Mike Mus-sallem, chief executive of Irvine-based device maker Edwards Lifesciences Corp. (see related story, page 3); Raouf Halim, who leads Newport Beach-based chipmaker Mindspeed Technologies Inc.; and William Link, the managing director of Menlo Park-based Versant Venture Management LLC, which has an office in Newport Beach.
“I met with a lot of companies in Ohio, but I wouldn’t get in to see their CEOs,” said Washington, who was interim dean of Ohio State University’s engineering school before taking the top post at the Henry Samueli School of Engineering.
The expectation that the school will be more engaged with corporations is “different from most places in the country,” he said.
Washington understands that the next generation of innovators must have technical knowledge and business acumen, according to Samueli, who also serves as Broadcom’s chief technology officer.
“Gregory’s clear vision of forging re-search partnerships with Orange County’s technology companies offers a creative win-win solution,” Samueli wrote in an email. “His practical, creative leadership approach is exactly what’s needed for the university, the students and the local business community.”
Link also said he likes Washington’s road map as a way for UCI to forge lasting ties with the region’s venture capitalists.
“I am appreciative of his early focus on building relationships with the local business community and look forward to working with him on projects of common interest,” according to Link.
Versant has at least five local investments that total about $16 million in its pipeline, including Sequent Medical Inc., an Aliso Viejo medical device maker; San Clemente-based heart device maker Cameron Health Inc., WaveTec Vision Systems Inc., an eye device maker in Aliso Viejo; and Laguna Hills-based Glaukos Corp., a glaucoma device developer.
Mussallem said he walked away from a meeting with Washington impressed.
“He had a deep passion for bonding with the community and engaging others to help accomplish more,” he said. “I have great hope that his leadership will drive meaningful results.”
Washington’s goals are clear: Establish joint programs that benefit students, faculty and companies while seeking private investment for existing and new partnerships. That could mean sponsorships, revenue from special courses or fees for research.
“The most important piece is that we become true partners,” Washington said.
His vision of aligning academia with the private sector comes as California faces ongoing budget crunches and pares back spending on its public colleges and universities.
Washington’s efforts are bundled into three major initiatives: courses designed for working professionals; faculty research that syncs up with local companies; and consulting in areas outside companies’ core expertise through student and faculty groups.
“We want to expand that so we’re looked at as one of the nation’s leaders in doing high-quality fundamental research and helping industry meet its long-term goals,” Washington said.
He’s developing curricula steeped in practical experience.
In fall 2012, the engineering school, in conjunction with the Corona del Mar-based Samueli Foundation, will launch a program for freshmen to design, build and test, from the onset of their studies—something typically introduced during a student’s senior year.
“They’ll start to be engineers from day one,” said Washington, who used his own experiences as a blueprint.
Washington grew up in Harlem, and constantly tinkered with his toys as a kid, much to the chagrin of his mother.
“She hated to buy me toys because I’d play with the toy for a little bit and eventually it was taken apart,” he said. “As a kid I wasn’t very good at putting them together.”
NC State
In high school the family moved to North Carolina, where a chance encounter on career day altered his course.
After hearing a textile designer at his high school, Washington decided to explore the field at North Carolina State University.
He went there, saw what engineers did and a made an immediate switch.
When a faculty member gave him an opportunity to work side-by-side, Washing-ton was hooked.
“That’s why I believe in this experiential learning piece, because if you give people problems you’ll get better solutions,” said Washington, who earned bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering from North Carolina State. “It’s one of the reasons I’m going to promote that here.”
