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1976

The Connecticut State Legislature establishes the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering (CASE), with Professors Ira B. Bernstein, D. Allan Bromley, Peter. P. Wegener, and Robert. G. Wheeler as charter members. In the following 26 years 14 more Engineering faculty members have been elected to CASE.

1977

An Engineering and Applied Science Open House, jointly sponsored by the department and the Yale Science and Engineering Association, held on April 21-22, marking the 125th year of Engineering at Yale.

1979-81

Extensive discussions, initiated by the faculty, about reorganizing the single department of E&AS involving five external visiting committees, and culminating in July 1981 in the creation of autonomous Sections of Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics and a Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Council of Engineering. Werner P. Wolf appointed chair of the Council. In the following years the Sections were designated as regular departments, and Engineering Mechanics was renamed Mechanical Engineering.

1981

Center for Laser Diagnostics established. Initial research subjects included application of lasers as diagnostic probes, especially in turbulence and combustion, laser spectroscopy of molecules adsorbed on metal surfaces, and optical scattering from microparticles. Richard K. Chang the first director.

Center for Systems Science established. Initial research subjects included Learning theory and its application to engineering design, recognition of handwritten characters and speech signals, control mechanisms for disturbance isolation, task encoding and control for robotics, and path planning in uncertain environments. K.S. Narendra the first director.