Brimming with breakthrough research, awards and honors, student innovations and tons more, every year in the Cockrell School of Engineering is one to remember. And — even as the coronavirus pandemic turned the world on its head — 2020 has certainly been no different.

With students studying virtually and faculty lecturing from home, the engineering corridor of campus is quiet. But the energy at the construction site of our newest engineering building is as lively as ever. The foundation is set, walls are in place, windows have been installed – progress at the Gary L. Thomas Energy Engineering building charges ahead.

The world learned on October 9, 2019, that John Goodenough had won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions to the development of the lithium-ion battery. It was headline-making news not only for the award itself and for the breakthrough it was honoring, but also because, at 97 years old, Goodenough became the oldest person to receive a Nobel Prize. But the story of Goodenough’s Nobel experience didn’t end that day. There were months of interviews, events, appearances and more, culminating in the royal ceremonies in Stockholm in December.

As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S., one of the most immediate needs that arose was filling a shortage of PPE for health care workers. So, inside the Cockrell School’s Texas Inventionworks studio, engineers immediately galvanized into action to create customized 3D-printed masks.

Where Longhorns once played basketball, robots now play soccer. Where teams of athletes once worked together on the court, teams of engineers and scientists now collaborate on next-generation robotics. The newly renovated Anna Hiss Gymnasium is now home to an ever-growing UT Robotics umbrella where humanoid, autonomous, rehabilitation and other robots are being developed, programmed and tested as we prepare for a world where these machines become even more present in our everyday lives.