Prepare to share waves with the new Dean of the Pratt School of Engineering, Thomas Katsouleas, at the next annual post-finals Beach Week. Katsouleas, a self-proclaimed "recovering West-Coast surfer" is looking for students who will water-ski or surf with him, and he intends to be a regular at E-socials next year.
"I'm coming at the end of June and my family is joining me at the end of August," Katsouleas says. "So for a month I'll be looking for people to pull around on the lake."
When senior Mary Ellen Koran, president of Engineering Student Government, heard the dean shares her interest in waterskiing and surfing, she saw potential for a school-wide tradition. "Maybe ESG will sponsor a beach trip with the dean next year?" she jokes in an e-mail.
Maybe he'll invite the Trinity School of Arts and Sciences for some competitive games to cultivate to the friendly rivalry between it and Pratt. "The question is whether we should break down the rivalry or just sort of build on it," Katsouleas muses.
He said the pride Duke's engineering community takes in itself is healthy.
"He is definitely a fun guy, but he knows what he is doing," said electrical engineering junior Ankit Prasad after meeting Katsouleas at the Mr. and Ms. Pratt competition, where Katsouleas was a judge. On a less competitive note, Katsouleas' plans include mutual efforts across campus and joint curricula with Trinity and the Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.
He is also interested in more joint events between Duke's schools to foster friendly competition and lead the way in collaborative efforts. Why not a Pratt versus Trinity volleyball game at North Myrtle after the semester's last E-social?
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