In the first half of the nineteenth century, chemistry professor Benjamin Silliman made fundamental contributions to the fractional distillation of petroleum, and his son, chemistry professor Benjamin Silliman, Jr., commercialized the process as a fuel source.

[3] Bromley, a nuclear physicist and science adviser to U.S. President George H. W. Bush, was a forceful advocate for engineering at Yale.

[15] In June 2016, construction began on an underground teaching concourse that will physically link the Department of Computer Science to other main engineering buildings.

The 10,000-square-foot space is designed specifically for undergraduate engineering laboratories and hands-on learning experiences.

Notably, the School has consistently maintained one of the highest percentage of engineering bachelor's degrees awarded to women in the nation.

[16] Vanderlick led the recruitment of more than 30 new faculty members and paved the way for vital capital improvements to include extensive research space and state-of-the-art teaching facilities.

[20] In January 2017, it was announced that Vanderlick would return full-time to teaching and research after her term as dean concludes.

In a message to the University community, President Peter Salovey praised Vanderlick's energy and creativity as well as her success in bringing to life the “cool nature of engineering.” Salovey also noted that Vanderlick “excelled in carrying out her charge to reinvigorate engineering at Yale” and credited her for the university's reemergence “as a national leader in engineering education and research.”[20] In 2023, Yale announced a "historic investment in engineering" encompassing several major construction projects over the next 10 to 15 years, on sites already owned and occupied by the university.