Leadership and legacy
On June 30, 2025, Tsu-Jae King Liu will step down after seven years as the dean of Berkeley Engineering, the first woman to hold the position in the college’s history. She will transition to her new position as the president of the esteemed National Academy of Engineering, effective July 1, 2025. Liu recently sat down with Berkeley Engineer to reflect on her experience as dean and share her thoughts about the path ahead.
Q: How has the college evolved under your leadership, and what key initiatives or changes do you believe have had the most lasting impact?
From a quantitative standpoint, the number and diversity of Berkeley Engineering students and faculty have steadily increased, and the college’s educational program offerings have likewise grown to keep pace with student demand and the expanding frontiers of engineering. Our undergraduate aerospace engineering program, launched in 2022, is now one of the most popular majors among applicants. This year, we are launching two additional baccalaureate programs, one in electrical and computer engineering to address workforce needs in the microelectronics industry, and the other in environmental engineering to help address the world’s sustainability challenges.
Qualitatively, our collective efforts to address unconscious bias, to foster a supportive learning environment and cultivate a growth mindset, and to build an empowering community have made Berkeley Engineering more welcoming and inclusive, rather than competitive and exclusive. We believe that our graduates will bring the values of inclusive excellence to their workplaces and effect a positive cultural change in industry and academia, with lasting impact.
Q: Was there a particular moment or crisis during your tenure as dean that tested you the most, and what did you learn from it?
The COVID-19 pandemic stands out. The college leadership team worked in coordination with campus leaders to respond swiftly according to public health guidelines. We were the first unit on campus to establish a Student Emergency Needs Fund, which many faculty generously contributed to. Other faculty pivoted their research activities to help track the pandemic and mitigate its impact. I’m proud of how quickly faculty and staff worked to adapt to remote instruction and advising in order to sustain our educational mission. We also temporarily adjusted degree requirements and research activities, prioritizing the health and well-being of our students. I think we all gained more appreciation for the importance of community to support individual and collective well-being, particularly in times of crisis.
Q: What accomplishments are you most proud of during your time as dean? What has been your most memorable experience?
I set out as dean to transform the culture within the college in order to fully unlock our individual and collective potential and thereby grow the excellence and impact of Berkeley Engineering. Our new philanthropy-funded Grimes Engineering Center, which opened in April, is the physical embodiment of this cultural transformation. I am grateful to have had many partners and generous supporters in developing a shared vision for this center and bringing it to life. We can all be proud of this tremendous team achievement!
Q: What about the leadership role of the National Academy of Engineering is attracting you after a nearly three-decade career in academia?
It wasn’t an easy decision. What drew me to higher ed in the first place was my passion for engineering as a force for good and for working with students who aspire to make the world a better place.
But I’m also passionate about the U.S. as the land of opportunity, as my parents immigrated from Taiwan to this country as graduate students seeking a better life. They contributed to our nation as scientists working for the U.S. Geological Survey, and they provided well for their own family.
I’m concerned for the long-term welfare and prosperity of the U.S. because our liberty and freedom will be at risk in the future if our country does not maintain its technological competitiveness. We need to foster collaboration across the nation and between educational, industry and government sectors to address this existential challenge. I will be better positioned to drive this initiative as president of the NAE.
Q: Where do you see the future of engineering education heading, and what should students and faculty be prepared for in the next decade?
To ensure that American companies will have the engineering talent they need to be competitive in the future, engineering educators and professionals should work together with partners in K-12 education, industry and government to promote technology literacy and understanding of engineering, so that more students will pursue engineering study.
Engineering education should continue to evolve with the development of new assistive learning and productivity tools and pedagogy. I expect we’ll see increased collaboration across academia with partners in industry, government and non-profit organizations to ensure that our students gain the knowledge, abilities and skills needed to keep our country technologically competitive.
The measure of our success is our impact on people and society, which are increasingly dependent on technologies created, designed and developed by engineers. Therefore it is ever more important to cultivate “soft skills” in engineering students — that is, self-awareness, empathy and strong communication skills, including listening ability — to maximize the benefit of future technological innovations for humanity.
Q: What do you think you’ll miss most about UC Berkeley and the Bay Area when you leave for D.C.?
I will miss the people most, of course! But I expect to keep in touch thanks to technology made possible by Berkeley engineers, and I’ll be visiting the campus periodically to continue research projects and collaborations here. I’ve been very fortunate to work with many outstanding students and faculty colleagues, and I’m grateful for all the opportunities that UC Berkeley has provided me over the past three decades. My experience here has profoundly shaped me as a person, and I will be happy to support our university’s public mission from Washington, D.C., as I am able.