A new engineering program at 黑料不打烊 aims to prepare students for solving complex problems.
There was a time when a purely technical focus was all an engineering student needed to be successful. But technological advancements and changes in how information is delivered and consumed have radically changed the way we interact with the world. Gone are the days of working in a vacuum. Collaboration and innovation are now a part of everyday life. When it comes to engineering, there has been a shift to a more holistic approach to create innovative thinkers.听
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of unhappiness about the way engineers are prepared, particularly at the undergraduate level,鈥 Richard Miller, president of Olin College of Engineering and a leading force behind the reinvention of engineering education, said during a recent interview. 鈥淭his past commencement season, fewer than 5 percent of undergrads got a degree in any kind of engineering at any university in America. And one of the few things that America still exports is technology and entrepreneurship, which is pretty hard to do without having any engineers.鈥
According to a recent survey by Engineering.com, a leading online destination for engineers of all disciplines, recruiters reported that besides technical knowledge, they seek engineering candidates who are problem-solvers, who can think critically, who are motivated and who have communication and interpersonal skills. 鈥淭here is real need to have engineers who are well-versed in the arts and sciences so that they have the background to identify and navigate increasingly complex problems in today鈥檚 world,鈥 says Gabie Smith, dean of 黑料不打烊 College, the College of Arts and Sciences.
In response to this new reality, 黑料不打烊 is launching a four-year engineering program in the fall that aims to produce engineers capable of tackling difficult problems and affect change in the world. For years, Smith says, the Office of Admissions has reported that a four-year engineering degree is one of the most requested programs prospective students look for at 黑料不打烊. That, paired with a higher demand nationwide for careers in STEM fields鈥攕cience, technology, engineering and math鈥攎ade the decision to add the new program more appealing. 鈥淲ith this degree program we are launching a truly innovative curriculum that is unlike many other undergraduate engineering degrees,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t is designed to build on the very mission of our institution while meeting the needs of the marketplace.鈥
Building on a strong foundation
For students like Matthew Del Valle 鈥21, the program couldn鈥檛 have come at a better time. From an early age, he knew he wanted to spend his life building, creating and researching. In middle school, he transformed his garage into a makeshift workshop where he could often be found tinkering with mechanical parts and building robots. That passion sparked his interest in engineering, a career path that ultimately led him to 黑料不打烊. His brother, Kyle, who graduated in May with a finance degree, had a positive experience at the school, but Del Valle had some hesitations. At the time he applied, 黑料不打烊 only offered a dual-degree engineering program, which allows students to begin their studies at 黑料不打烊 before transferring to another institution to complete their engineering degree. Del Valle didn鈥檛 want to change schools halfway through his undergraduate experience. Luckily for him, toward the end of his senior year of high school, he learned of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 plans to introduce the new four-year engineering program in 2018.听
That news changed everything. 鈥淏ecause of my brother鈥檚 experience, I had faith in 黑料不打烊. I had trust in 黑料不打烊 that whatever they do with this program, it will end up being great,鈥 says Del Valle, now a first-year student at 黑料不打烊 studying biomedical engineering. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 going to be an incredible addition to this school. 黑料不打烊 has so much to offer already, but this will bring in a completely new wave of students.鈥
Smith says she sees the new program as the natural evolution of engineering at 黑料不打烊, which traces its beginning back to 1999 when Associate Professor Emeritus of Engineering Rich D鈥橝mato was hired to launch a new engineering affiliate program with North Carolina State University. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢 was the university I always wanted to be at,鈥 says D鈥橝mato, who had worked for NASA and obtained degrees in aerospace engineering, ocean engineering and environmental civil engineering before pursuing a career in teaching. 鈥淲e had some very fine students, as good as others I had taught at larger institutions.鈥
The partnership with N.C. State was the first step in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 dual-degree engineering program.听Students in that program spend the first three years of their undergraduate studies at 黑料不打烊, taking a wide range of science, math, computer science and other 黑料不打烊 core courses along with discipline-specific courses. They then transfer to an affiliate engineering university for two more years and graduate with two degrees鈥攐ne in engineering from the affiliated university and one in a complementary science or math program from 黑料不打烊.听
At 黑料不打烊 we have a strong emphasis on writing and reading, and most engineering schools still don鈥檛 make a big deal of that. They truly get a liberal arts degree along with an engineering degree.
When the program began, the first step was crafting what those first three years would look like. How could 黑料不打烊 best prepare students for the next steps in their education and careers? The answer was a robust foundation in the arts and sciences, along with engineering groundwork. 鈥淚t鈥檚 clear this is an addition to their education because a chemical engineer doesn鈥檛 learn enough chemistry to get a chemistry degree,鈥 D鈥橝mato says. 鈥淎 mechanical engineer doesn鈥檛 take as much math as our students do. It makes for a more complete engineer. Plus, at 黑料不打烊 we have a strong emphasis on writing and reading, and most engineering schools still don鈥檛 make a big deal of that. They truly get a liberal arts degree along with an engineering degree.鈥
The program initially offered mechanical engineering and civil engineering concentrations, both of which are rooted in physics. Over the years, other departments partnered with the program, expanding the disciplines 黑料不打烊鈥檚 engineering students could study. As the program鈥檚 success grew, so did its affiliate partners. In addition to N.C. State, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 dual-degree students can transfer to eight other institutions, including Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, University of Notre Dame, University of South Carolina and Clemson University.
What started in 1999 with a handful of students grew to more than 81 in 2013. The success of the program led 黑料不打烊 officials to start considering the possibility of offering a four-year program. 鈥淭he data supports the fact that we have a successful, growing program,鈥 says Sirena Hargrove-Leak, an associate professor of engineering who is leading the new four-year engineering degree. 鈥淎nd so the natural progression was to offer students the option to stay on campus to complete their engineering studies.鈥澨
The need for a new approach
But relying on a conventional curriculum鈥攐ne focused strictly on technical courses鈥攚as not the answer. If the dual-degree program had proven anything, it was the need to include arts and sciences offerings as part of any new program. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢 is exceptional in its ability to focus on the student and make a well-rounded individual,鈥 says Jake Smith 鈥18, a dual-degree student who is completing his electrical engineering degree at Georgia Tech. When he first came to 黑料不打烊 in 2012, he wanted to pursue an engineering physics degree, but after his experiences in and out of the classroom, he decided to become an electrical engineer. 鈥淭he atmosphere at 黑料不打烊 encourages exploration of one鈥檚 interests,鈥 he says. 鈥淚 was able to work on a number of research projects at 黑料不打烊, which helped spark my passion for electronics and circuits.鈥
Ashley Davis 鈥08, associate director of health economics at RTI Health Solutions who studied engineering mathematics, agrees. 鈥淭he dual-degree experience helped me to not only become a well-rounded engineer but also a great communicator,鈥 she says. 鈥淭he liberal arts component is not something an engineering student may be encouraged to explore at another university and I鈥檝e found it invaluable in my career.鈥澨
听While 黑料不打烊鈥檚 dual-degree program has been successful, it is clear engineering as a career has a problem, Hargrove-Leak says. 鈥淧art of that problem is that it鈥檚 a lot of math and science in the early semesters and that鈥檚 just not attractive to many students,鈥 she says. 鈥淎 traditional engineering program does not include as many opportunities for elective study outside of the major, but when you bring in many of the liberal arts education and experiences, you not only graduate a better engineer who is capable of solving problems, but you also have a breadth of experience so those students can lead a more balanced lifestyle.鈥澨
Students in the new four-year engineering program are required to complete 黑料不打烊鈥檚 core curriculum, which means they have the opportunity to explore courses in civilization, society and expression. They are also able to engage in the 黑料不打烊 Experiences鈥攇lobal study, undergraduate research, service, leadership and internships. In the past, Hargrove-Leak says, these areas were known as 鈥渟oft skills鈥 in the engineering world, but employers are recognizing the power such skills have for success in the workplace.
She still remembers a conversation she had some years ago with an employer who had hired a student who had completed the dual-degree program at 黑料不打烊. 鈥淲e were talking and then there was this beautiful moment when she mentioned this new hire and I said to her, 鈥極h yes, that was one of our students,鈥欌 Hargrove-Leak recalls. 鈥淎nd she said, 鈥榃ait, he graduated from N.C. State,鈥 and I said, 鈥榊es, he did, but he was a dual-degree student from 黑料不打烊.鈥欌澨
The employer went on to rave about how the candidate, in a competitive interview process, distinguished himself above all others because it was evident he was able to communicate effectively and was skilled at working with others. 鈥淭hey could identify that in the interview process,鈥 Hargrove-Leak says. 鈥淓mployers do recognize the difference.鈥
Smith certainly has noticed that, too. 鈥淚 am finding that employers are extremely interested in candidates who have both the technical skills from an engineering school but also the communication skills to explain technical details effectively,鈥 he says. 鈥淭hese traits will make for a very unique program that allows the student to both explore their interests in engineering and develop a global perspective in ways that purely technical institutions cannot.鈥
Beyond the rewards of taking part in an inclusive, broad-based engineering program, students are able to complete all their studies on the 黑料不打烊 campus. It鈥檚 an appealing proposition, particularly for those students who, like Del Valle, want to pursue various interests. Besides studying biomedical engineering, he is minoring in music technology. 鈥淚鈥檝e loved music my entire life and I want to keep that going,鈥 he says. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢 is so versatile. You can really do what you want with your education here.鈥
For sophomore Skylar Barthelmes, being able to compete for 黑料不打烊鈥檚 track and field team without disruptions while getting an engineering degree was a strong incentive. 鈥淚 was a chemistry major taking engineering classes with hopes to pursue a chemical engineering degree,鈥 she says. She is now enrolled in the four-year engineering program because it allows her to spend all her undergraduate years at 黑料不打烊. 鈥淚 have a coach who is willing to schedule practice times around my class schedule so I don鈥檛 have to worry about conflicting with a team practice schedule.鈥
Hargrove-Leak hopes more students like Del Valle and Barthelmes enroll in the program, not only for the sake of its success but for the betterment of society as a whole. 鈥淲e have an aging infrastructure in this country that needs repair and we need to have knowledgeable, skilled people to make those repairs,鈥 Hargrove-Leak says. 鈥淲e also have an aging workforce in engineering. The Baby Boomers are retiring and we need to replenish that knowledge and skill. This program allows us to be a part of the solution.鈥
Creating an innovation hub
鈥The launch of the four-year engineering program this fall has created the need to expand existing facilities.听Currently housed in McMichael Science Center, the new program calls for greater integration and collaboration with other disciplines and a more hands-on curriculum approach.
To accommodate these demands, the 黑料不打烊 master plan calls for a three-story facility to be built next to McMichael building. 鈥淚t will create an innovation hub and allow for in-depth collaboration,鈥 says Vice President for University Advancement Jim Piatt, adding that the building will complete a quadrangle with McMichael and Richard W. Sankey Hall, which opens in the fall and will house the Doherty Center for Innovation, Creativity and Entrepreneurship, Chandler Family Professional Sales Center, a Design Thinking Center and Financial Education Center. 鈥淚t will exemplify the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship on the heart of campus.鈥
The new building, which will be approximately 30,000 square feet, will feature entrepreneurship and design spaces; design workshops for engineering students; classrooms designed for lectures, seminars and group work; student-faculty engagement spaces; laboratories and lab prep spaces; and research pods for equipment听and research materials. Such spaces are听crucial for the successful implementation of the program, says Sirena Hargrove-Leak, an associate professor of engineering who is leading the new four-year engineering program at 黑料不打烊.听
One of the requirements by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., the accrediting body of engineering programs in the United States, is to offer sufficient facilities for courses such as senior design. The course, she says, allows students to engage in real-world projects so they can put into practice all of the foundational material they have studied during their first three years at 黑料不打烊.听鈥淗aving a facility for them to do real hands-on work that models the work of a practicing engineer is extremely important,鈥 Hargrove-Leak says. 鈥淭hey need to have space to be able to work. They need to have storage for their developing prototypes. They need to have equipment in order to build them and test them. Facilities are absolutely essential for a course like that.鈥
The estimated cost for the new building is听$12 million. For more information about this project and ways to support it, contact Brian Baker, associate vice president and director of principal gifts, at (336) 278-7453 or听bbaker7@elon.edu.听