Building Your Future in Engineering 2016 by Luke Clark

August 2016

Table of Contents Why Engineering Matters 4 Letter from Governor Nathan Deal 7 Educating Georgiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Future Workforce 8 Dear Students: I want to help you land your dream job 10 Be an Engineer and Save the World 12 New Grant and Scholarship Program to Bolster Skilled Trade Workforce 14 Engineering the Future 16 Tell Me About Yourself 18 Future City: The Power of Pubic Space 22 Mathcounts 26 Engineering for Development (E4D) at Mercer University 28 Coastal Pines Technical College 30 A Journey to Success: How Family, Friends, and Mentors are the Key to Everything 32 Steel Drawbridge Now a Thing of the Past: Hazardous Two-line Road Gets a Facelift 36 Auburn University 39 Georgia Southern 42 Building a Solid Foundation: Why Being an Ethical Engineer Matters 44 Kennesaw State University 48 Mercer University 50 Middle Georgia State University 52 Salary Survey 54 Spelman College 56 University of Georgia 58 Vanderbilt University 60 Wiregrass Georgia Technical College 62

Advertisers in this book Auburn University . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

McDonough Bolyard & Peck . . 17

Burns & McDonnell . . . . . . . . . . 4

Mercer University . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Cardno . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Coastal Pines Tech. College . . . 9 GEICC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Georgia Tech. . . . . . . Back Cover

Middle Ga. State University.. . 25 THC Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 United Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Georgia Power Company. . . . IFC

University of Georgia . . . . . . . . 21

Kennesaw State Univ. . . . . . . . . 11

Wiregrass Technical College . 47

Building Your Future in Engineering

Georgia Engineer magazine Publisher : A4 Inc. | 1154 Lower Birmingham Road | Canton, Georgia 30115 (770) 521-8877 | e-mail: thegeorgiaengineer@a4inc.com Managing Editor: Roland Petersen-Frey e-mail: rfrey@a4inc.com

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Art Direction/Design Pamela S. Petersen-Frey e-mail: pfrey@a4inc.com

Why Engineering Matters: A statement by the Royal Academy of Engineering

Engineering underpins human progress. Engineering is about the practical delivery of scientifically informed solutions for the great challenges and opportunities in a rapidly evolving world. Engineers take scientific discoveries and apply them practically. eir work literally creates the fabric of society, whether the buildings we live and work in, the energy that powers our world or the transport networks that we use every day. Engineering is so diverse, it is sometimes hard for the public to see a common thread between its feats. At one end of the scale, engineers are responsible for the massive scale design and build of the Large Hadron Collider and, at the other, to the many applications of nano-technology. Engineering creates the breathtaking yet sustainable new buildings on the skylines of the world’s great cities as well as bringing clean water and sanitation to remote, impoverished villages. en there is the communications revolution, creating a growing sense of world community, enabling billions of people to access information and services and forging new business opportunities. So what must an engineer know and do in order to be eﬀective and successful? e bedrock of engineering is the application of mathematical and physical theory. But engineering is far more than just about knowledge: an engineer’s core business is to turn theory into practice. As with medicine, engineering expertise only comes with practice, by means of exposure to real-world dilemmas and techniques for addressing them. It is practice that enables an engineer to learn another

crucial core skill—to think strategically about the whole picture while keeping an eye on the detail. is whole systems thinking is what allows an engineer to juggle the competing demands of a project, managing risks, controlling costs, and keeping to time. v

August 2016

Building Your Future in Engineering

August 2016

Letter from Governor Nathan Deal

Building Your Future in Engineering

Educating Georgia’s Future Workforce By Richard Woods | State School Superintendent

Dear students,

At the Georgia Department of Education, we are driven by one goal: making sure you are ready to live, learn, and lead in the future. It’s my hope that each one of you will graduate from high school equipped with the tools you need to live a fulfilling and productive life. You will head in different directions—from colleges and universities, to the military, to apprenticeship opportunities and the workforce. My goal is for you to be successful, no matter where life takes you. With that in mind, we’re working to provide you with a strong, well rounded education. Schools now have a choice of 127+ Career Pathways to offer you, each of which is designed to blend critical thinking with strong acaRichard Woods demics and real-world application. There’s no better example than the Engineering Pathway, which currently enrolls approximately 27,000 of Georgia’s high school students. Jobs in engineering, engineering technology, and industrial technologies continue to grow here in Georgia. High-tech industries will add nearly 38,000 new jobs to Georgia’s economy over the next four years. Five engineering-related occupations are listed on the Georgia Department of Labor’s list of HOT Careers to 2022, with annual wages of at least $79,000. Educational opportunities in engineering are great news for you as a student and great news for our state as

a whole. Currently, there aren’t enough engineers for the jobs available, and that comes at a cost. Nationally, most engineering jobs stay vacant for about 49 days, which means one unfilled job can cost a company an average of $7,600. If a position stays vacant for three months or longer, a company can lose over $14,000. If engineering is a subject of interest for you, Georgia’s high schools can prepare you to take on the future. No matter what you choose to do, I encourage you to take advantage of the many resources available to help you identify a career that makes use of your unique talents and allows you to serve your community. I wish you the very best as you identify and pursue those opportunities. Sincerely,

Richard Woods State School Superintendent

August 2016

Building Your Future in Engineering

Dear Students: I want to help you land your dream job By Gretchen Corbin | Commissioner

As Georgians, we live in the heart of the fastest-growing region in the nation, home to 18 FORTUNE 500 headquarters, the busiest international airport and billion-dollar industries in engineering, tourism and film—to name just a few. Georgia’s success is our success, and to ensure that legacy lives on, more and more jobs now demand a college education. In actuality, 60 percent of jobs in Georgia will require a college degree by 2025. In just that time, you could be starting your dream job; so, when you think about your possible career, think about the best pathways that will jumpstart your career in the contracting industry. Who Gretchen Corbin can put you face-to-face with real businesses and managers to help you launch your career? Where can you get the best workforce training without having to sacrifice your financial security? I can promise you that there is no better investment than at one of your 22 technical colleges across our state. Here, we train our students to go directly into the workforce and land jobs, so our graduates leave with a competitive advantage because they already possess the strategic skills employers are looking for. TCSG students also obtain valuable work experience while learning from experts in the field, so that they, too, can become the experts of tomorrow. What’s more, our students benefit from an 85 percent job placement rate from one of the least expensive college systems not only in this state, but in the entire Southeast. For students entering 12 high-demand fields—like industrial maintenance, engineering and

precision manufacturing—tuition is free. When you think of starting your career, you don’t have to wait. In fact, you can start building your career before you even leave high school. Taking college classes through dual enrollment is now easier than ever, and tuition won’t cost you a dime. We also know that many students, with or without college courses, are tempted to move into jobs right out of high school. However, if you decide to obtain a technical degree, you can expect to earn nearly half a million dollars over the course of your working life. And, with nearly two out of every three jobs requiring a college degree by 2025, a college education will soon be essential for a long and successful career. Georgia can make any of your dreams possible for you. As Georgians, we have the great luxury The generations before us created a Georgia just for you; and you, in turn, can shape Georgia for the next generation. Join us at the Technical College System of Georgia, and join the thousands of graduates who have walked through the doors of success. I promise you there is no dream you can’t achieve right here in this state. Best wishes,

Gretchen Corbin Commissioner, Technical College System of Georgia

August 2016

Building Your Future in Engineering

August 2016

As a young boy (and not-so-young man), I was/am an avid comic book reader. Collecting mostly DC and Marvel comic books, I was drawn to the abilities of superheroes and to the peeks into the future the comic books gave. For me, Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, industrialist and electrical engineer (as well as millionaire, playboy, philanthropist, etc.), was a particular favorite. Suave, ingenious, heroic, and a problem-solver—he was a real role model. There was also Mister Fantastic, a physicist who also mastered most of the other science and engineering disciplines. Then there was the Black Panther, a scientific genius as well as a world leader. You don’t have to read the comics to see real super powers in action. Tony Stark may not be so fictional. There is Elon Musk—founder of SpaceX and product architect of Tesla Motors. Musk has already created 3D immersive reality visualizations for designing rocket parts. He wants to reinvent the world and is using his human abilities to shake up the space and automotive industries. Then there is John Underkoffler, who has already designed several of Iron Man’s inventions, including his homemade Gary S. May nuclear reactor. If you saw the movie Minority Report, Underkoffler invented how humans could use their gestures to interact with a computer—no mouse, no keyboard, no commands. Just the wave of an arm or the movement of a finger. Even Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg, is building a reallife version of Iron Man’s digital assistant, JARVIS. Many superhero powers are being orchestrated in engineering labs across the country. • The Flash’s super speed: a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funded lab has designed a lightweight jet pack that keeps the user on the ground but helps them run faster. •

Invisibility: a number of labs are working on technologies that shield objects from light waves.

Building Your Future in Engineering

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Steve Austin’s bionic eye: Surgeons in Manchester, England performed the first bionic eye implant in July.

Here at Georgia Tech, researchers are working on technologies that can be used to develop bulletproof materials or provide super strength via carbon fiber designs as well as self-healing materials. One thing’s for sure: It looks like we will not need to be exposed to radiation or come from outer space to have superhero-like abilities. Engineers are finding ways to make super powers accessible to us in the future. Comics may be where the story begins, but it will be “engineers” in their labs that show us the story as it evolves. It has been stated that, “Scientists investigate that which already is; engineers create that which has never been.” Some of the greatest challenges of modern life have been overcome thanks to engineers. Engineers understand what is and see what might be. Engineers will be the ones who move us forward in the future. We are the ones who take scientific discoveries and apply them. We are the ones who leap frog into the future and then design the next generation car, computer, phone, or even medical treatment. We work in outer space and under the sea. We work on massive projects like the Hoover Dam or Panama Canal as well as with the smallest particles, think nano-technology. Engineers play a significant role in the fields that directly touch people’s lives and impact their well-being. Engineers are working on solutions to clean water, pollution, new cancer medicines, cyber security, and more. In fact, you don’t need a super power. Engineers already have one—the power to make a difference in the world, now and tomorrow. Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering is the largest and most diverse in the nation, ranked in the top nationally, and is number one in graduating women and minority engineers.

New Grant and Scholarship Program to Bolster Skilled Trade Workforce By Ben Hames | Deputy Commissioner | Georgia Department of Economic Development

As we engage Georgia employers of all sizes to learn more about their existing and future workforce needs, we hear of widespread demand for educated and trained workers within the skilled trade sectors. Through our Go Build Georgia program, we aim to educate students about rewarding jobs in those sectors, specifically in manufacturing, telecommunications, construction, logistics and energy. We are working to assist educators, counselors and parents in guiding students through a career path that leads to a longstanding, well-paying career. We’ve successfully established partnerships with middle and high schools, the Technical College System of Georgia Ben Hames (TCSG) and industry partners throughout the state. Today, we are expanding that outreach and leveraging those partnerships by offering special activity grants and scholarships to schools and students in Georgia to help support skilled-trade-related education and training. The Go Build Georgia High Demand Career Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship, awarded to graduating high school seniors entering a TCSG institution in a field of study leading to a career in the skilled trades. These scholarships are being made available through a partnership between Go Build Georgia, the Go Build Georgia Foundation and TCSG. The Go Build Georgia High Demand Career Scholarships can work in concert with the state’s Strategic Industries Workforce Development Grants (SIWDG) which cover full tuition in critical demand areas, as the scholarships can be used to

cover requisite fees and materials. The new Go Build Georgia Grants will be awarded to middle and high schools for Go Build Georgia-aligned special activities. These grants, of up to $500 each, are designed to support skilledtrade-related education and opportunities early in the student’s career, building awareness and interest in these targeted industries among young Georgians. Go Build Georgia grants are being made available through a partnership between Go Build Georgia, the Go Build Georgia Foundation and the Career, Technical and Agricultural Education Division (CTAE) of the Georgia Department of Education (GDOE). Grants will be awarded to applying middle and high schools throughout the year. Our goal is not only to supply Georgia employers with a skilled workforce to support business growth, but to also anticipate and respond to trends, shifts and shortages within the workforce system. Historically, the skilled trade industry has faced the challenge of an aging workforce and as Georgia continues to serve as a leader in manufacturing and logistics, we aim to support and bolster the workforce with young talent. By strengthening our workforce, these scholarships and grants will support economic development and help ensure that Georgia remains the number one state in the nation for business. Learn more about the Go Build Georgia High Demand Career Scholarship and the Go Build Georgia Grant by visiting www.gobuildgeorgia.com. v

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Building Your Future in Engineering

Engineering the Future By Dr. Thomas Currin | the 2016 Georgia Engineer of the Year | Kennesaw State University

Named the 2016 Georgia Engineer of the Year, Thomas Currin sits at the helm of Kennesaw State University’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology. The longtime dean shares his perspective on what attracts some of Georgia’s best and brightest to engineering. In a world of ever-changing technologies and processes, we often find ourselves with infrastructures and services that become outdated at lightning speed. Now more than ever, government and industry are looking for skilled and knowledgeable employees who can solve today’s real-world problems while anticipating tomorrow’s challenges. Engineers work in a complex field that is both challenging and creative. Critical Dr. Thomas Currin thinking and applied knowledge are essential to completing a task at hand, and engineers must use creativity and ingenuity to solve tough problems. Choosing a career in engineering is an opportunity for the next generation to explore their passion for creative problem-solving. Students learn about cuttingedge engineering strategies and the latest research developments in the field, and have unique opportunities to challenge their own creativity while gaining practical perspectives. At Kennesaw State’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, our students choose from one of the more than 22 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in disciplines such as mechatronics, systems engineering, nuclear engineering, mechanical engineering or civil and construction engineering.

Staying ahead of industry trends, our sought-after engineering programs provide strong academic rigor for students. Mechatronics engineering—a blend of mechanical and electrical engineering – is one of only nine such academic degree programs in the nation, and the College’s systems engineering degree is one of only two undergraduate programs in Georgia. Environmental engineering is a new popular choice among our youngest class of engineering undergraduates and a master’s in applied engineering provides an online option for professionals to continue their engineering education. Within our ABET-accredited engineering degree programs, our dedicated faculty have several years of prior industry experience and share that knowledge daily with our students. As educators, they spend a lot of time integrating project-based learning into the classroom and teaching our students how to interact with someone who requests something like “I need a road.” As an engineer, the answer isn’t “do you need the road to go from here to there?” or “do you want it to go this way or that way?” The bigger question, rather, should be “Why do you need a road? What is the problem you are really trying to solve?” Future engineers will be tasked with solving some of the world’s most impactful problems that lead the way for future generations. Engineers embrace discovery and help advance technologies to benefit society as a whole. The next generation of engineers gains valuable hands-on experience by working alongside some of the

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nation’s premier organizations. Kennesaw State’s engineering students assist companies in solving an underlying issue, creating a proof of concept or tackling an engineering design dilemma in areas like biomechanics or robotics. Strong educational partnerships with alternative energy, transportation and manufacturing industries prepare our engineering students to understand the dynamic impact they have in developing real-world solutions through extensive research and hands-on experiences. Research in the field of engineering can shape industry by uncovering new technologies, improving existing products and advancing innovative ideas. Applied research can fuel engineers’ desire to solve society’s biggest challenges, and students can play a big role in contributing their creative dexterity. Beyond research experience, Kennesaw State engineering students also gain a wealth of knowledge by joining one of 14 student organizations and competition teams in the College. Competition teams allow students to use their creative problem solving outside of the classroom. Concrete canoes, steel bridges, Formula SAE race cars, and autonomous underwater vehicles are just a few of the many teams that the College fields each year. In May, the electric vehicle team finished first in the nation at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during the evGrandPrix, an international intercollegiate competition of electric-powered go-karts.

petition team, engage in quality research experience and gain knowledge from theories learned in the classroom to obtain an internship or co-op. Kennesaw State engineering students are ready for an innovative and technologically savvy workforce. Nationally, nearly 90 percent of engineering undergraduates join the workforce, rather than graduate school, after earning their bachelor’s degrees. Engineering careers take our graduates all over the world through industry relationships, as multinational companies seek aspiring engineers who can challenge themselves and look at potential problems with a broader perspective. With many global companies based in Georgia, about 90 percent of Kennesaw State engineering graduates choose to live and work in the state. The return on investment for KSU’s engineering graduates is one of the highest in the country, according to a 2015 report by PayScale.com, a salary information company. The university ranks eighth among all engineering colleges in the nation for its Return on Investment (ROI). The College ROI Report gives an annual ‘best value’ perspective on colleges and universities that provide the best monetary return for their alumni via the low cost to attend an institution and the high earning potential after graduation. This truly indicates that Kennesaw State is a leader in engineering education—preparing students for challenging career opportunities from their very first day.v

Their hard work pays off beyond the trophies. As undergraduates, we offer our students opportunities to develop communications skills by working on a com-

Building Your Future in Engineering

Tell Me About Yourself By Dr. Ruth Middleton House | President, Middleton-House & Company | Faculty, Fielding Graduate University & Wes House | Project Engineer

Most of us like talking about ourselves. Well, until we are asked to do so. Then we can get uncomfortable. We might respond by clamming up and responding robot-like with a list of life events. Or we might be overly glib and distract our listener with information not at all related to the discussion. Whether we are in a job interview or we are representing our credentials to management for another reason, we might dread the exchange. It’s especially unpleasant to be facing a highly structured interview where we are hammered with a series of direct questions. Even worse is a stress interview when someone tries to ‘see what we are made of.’ A more openended interview might seem like a relief. But these are hazardous too. For one thing, a mechanical recitation of life events may be both irrelevant and b-o-r-i-n-g. Take this response to the request: “Tell me about yourself.” I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and went to Ramsey High School where my parents had gone before me. For undergraduate work I went to Auburn, University for my degree in engineering. I went from there to start a master’s at Clemson but decided that was not for me. So here I am looking for a job. Yawn. And what was the matter with Clemson? Don’t you start what you finish? Looking for what job? A glib tell-all has its risks too. You can raise more questions than you answer. I graduated from Georgia Tech three years ago—at the same time my husband got his MBA. He’s on a fast track with his company. Great job. But in three years

they’ve already moved us three times We spent just a year in Denver before they moved him up the ladder to Boston. And now they’ve just moved us back to Atlanta. Possible promotion on the way but we don’t know for sure. Hope this lasts. We’re thinking about starting a family. And besides my mom has been having some health problems and we’d like to be here near her. Uh-oh. This response raises a lot of questions that should never get asked. So you’re a trailing spouse? Can’t count on you being with us long. Maternity leave and possibly Family Medical Leave coming up? How much work will you do before you are going on benefits? Bottom line. Prepare for “Tell me about yourself ” as well as you’d prepare for any question about your degree content or the project you are presenting. Be ready to say something about yourself that is relevant to the topic being discussed, that illustrates some positive trait, and that engages your listener. Stay away from any information that it would be illegal for the other person to ask you in a job interview. In Career Focus: A Personal Job Search Guide, Helen Martucci Lamarre tells us that all employers are looking for ten characteristics: • Excellent verbal and written skills. • Ability to turn theory into practice. • Working well in groups. • Flexibility. • Problem solving. • Creativity. • Time Management. • Commitment.

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groups,’ for example, you might use words like: listened, coordinated, de-fused, collaborated.

Living a balanced life. Fearlessness.

The last two can be a bit tricky to talk about. One prospect said, “Don’t expect more than 40 hours a week out of me!” Not what Ruth expected to hear when interviewing for a management position. And be sure ‘fearlessness’ doesn’t translate into recklessness. ‘Courage’ would be our choice; and that can show up as confidence in your interview. The odds are good that at some point in any job or business interview, some behavioral questions will come up: Tell me about a difficult teamwork challenge you faced and how you handled it? What results have you gotten on projects like this in the past? You can prepare for questions like these and prepare for talking about yourself in general at the same time. Look over the characteristics above. Rank them in the order of importance you think they hold in your situation. Then, starting with the most important, develop a ‘proof story’ for each characteristic. Lamarrre suggests a three-part proof story following the BAR formula: Background, Action, Results. • First, pick the trait you want to illustrate •

Next, think of a situation in which your demonstration of that trait resulted in a good outcome.

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Briefly, describe the background. Be careful not to reveal any confidential information or name any names. And don’t give a great deal of detail. Just set the stage.

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Step by step, clearly describe the actions that you took. Use good, strong action words in your description. If the trait you picked was ‘working well in

Building Your Future in Engineering

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Then identify the results and link them to the actions that you took. Did a team that had been stuck get unstuck? Was destructive conflict replaced with problem solving? What were the business results? Did you avert costly delays in the project? Did you help solve a problem that others had not resolved?

Let’s develop ‘working well in groups’ further. Here’s what a proof story might look like. Background. The home office sent me to a project in a remote location to fill in for someone who had left abruptly. There was high turnover on the project— within a period of a few weeks several people had chosen to leave and a few had been fired. When I arrived, tensions were high. Several contractors were represented on the project team, and they did not see eye to eye. It was impossible to tell who was in charge. Team members were getting conflicting instructions, their frustration level was high. They withheld information from each other and pointed fingers. My company, and

the others were getting calls and letters of complaint. Action. When I realized how tense the situation was, I decided to start by just listening. Individual by individual, I summarized the feelings and the facts I was hearing. Over a period of a couple of days, some trust built up, and I was ready to summarize group feeling at a meeting. I get the feeling that nobody is sure whose direction to follow. It seems impossible to satisfy everyone. And when the dissatisfied person gets up-set, everyone’s frustration level peaks. When people are distracted by the frustration, some important things go undone. The project falls behind, and we get complaints. I think it would be a good idea for us to get the reporting ground rules laid out as a group and see if we can get our timeline back on track. Results. At first, people reacted to my idea by taking their frustration out on me. But when I calmly summarized what they were saying to me and showed respect for their opinions, the tension eased. Within a few

weeks we were working on solutions together and getting caught up on the project. For the first time, my management got complementary letters from the client—letters that specifically mentioned me as making a difference. Take ‘Tell me about yourself ’ as seriously as you would take a direct question about your expertise or your experience. • Prepare ahead of time to illustrate the traits that are likely to be important on this job or this project. • Using cues from the meeting context, pick the trait you want to illustrate. • Briefly describe the background. • Step by step, clearly describe the actions that you took. • Then identify the results and link them to the actions that you took. Remember that first trait people are likely to look for: excellent verbal and written skills. This is your chance to show you have these too! v

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Building Your Future in Engineering

FUTURE CITY

August 2016

Public Space, its an essential part of every community and its mention conjures up a broad array of iconic images from the traditional town square, to Times Square, from the Champs Elysee in Paris to Las Ramblas in Barcelona. Over the years, planners have taken different approaches to the study and evaluation of public space. Traditional planning approached the city and public space from a formal architectural perspective that focused on the visual and aesthetic characteristics of the space. Renaissance Ideal Cities like Palmanova exhibit this approach, and it was summed up nicely in Camilio Sitte’s classic book City

Planning According to Artistic Principles of 1889.

“It takes a place to create a community, and a community to create a place.” Fred Kent, Project for Public Spaces

Building Your Future in Engineering

It is also evident in the urbanism of Le Corbusier, particularly his Plan Voisin. In contrast, a second paradigm has also been in play, one that focused on the social usage of public spaces. Instead of focusing on the physical and material form of space, urban theorists like Kevin Lynch focused on the peoples pleasure, perception, and mental images of public spaces. Other proponents of this approach were Jane Jacobs, William Whyte, and Christopher Alexander. Over the last 20 years, a third position has emerged, one that looks at public spaces as both visual and formal spaces and as spaces of human socialization. One of the leading figures in this area is Fred Kent of Project for Public Works, a nonprofit planning, design, and educational organization that pioneered an approach to planning known as Placemaking that works with citizens to help them transform their public spaces into vibrant community centered spaces that highlight the diversity of their community and its local assets. Their approach to planning starts with the single most important ingredient in any city: its people. And people need a variety of public spaces throughout their city, both indoors and outdoors, where they can meet, relax, play, learn, connect, share cultures, create community, and build civic identity. Regardless of the framework we use to examine and try to understand their successes and failures, the fact remains that public spaces, large and small, park and plaza, street and sidewalk, make an urban area more attractive and more livable. But they also serve as an anchor that benefits cities in a variety of ways. Many public space projects revitalize a city’s economy by introducing new businesses and bringing in new visitors. Other public space projects help reduce crime, ease traffic congestion, improve pedestrian safety, promote healthy living, improve the environment, and enhance civic engagement. In fact, a recent study by the UN-Habitat’s Global Urban Observatories Unit found that cities that devoted about 50 percent of their space to public use tended to be more prosperous and have a higher quality of life. That’s what makes public space and its design so important. That is why Future City has taken on this central issue. This year’s upcoming Competition is themed ‘The power of public space.’ Working with educators and professional mentors, teams of middle school students from around the state are being asked to design a city of

the future with a distributed network of innovative, multiuse public spaces that serves their cities diverse population. Using the Engineering Design Process, they’ll tackle that task with an eye on the integration of those public spaces into the larger built environment. Our students explore urban planning while looking at city services and management, transportation systems, and infrastructure like power supply, renewable energy, water resources and treatment, garbage disposal and recycling, and pollution control. And they do it with an eye on sustainable growth and development as they apply their knowledge and creativity in the design of a city 150 years into the future. The only national engineering competition for middle school students, Future City has gained wide acclaim for its role in encouraging interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through hands on applications. The competition is designed to make students flex their skills in writing (a City Description Essay on their city and the year’s theme) , complex problem solving and design (a Virtual City design done using Simcity software), math and physics (a Physical Model), and communication and public speaking (a Team Presentation). The Future City competition helps students significantly improve their STEM core subjects. A 2012 study by The Concord Evaluation Group found 86 percent of teachers said that they saw improvement in the problem solving skills of those who entered the competition. 85 percent of students claimed Future City helped them to learn and appreciate everything that goes into planning and maintaining a city. Equally high percentages stated the competition gave them an outlet for their creativity and imagination while teaching them the importance of working with others to solve problems. Now in its 24th year, Future City reaches over 33,000 middle school students across the U.S. each year. This fall, students across Georgia and the U.S. will start this year’s competition on the power of public space. We hope you will join them in their journey of discovery. We are always looking for professional engineers, architects, and planners to become mentors, judges or volunteers for this fun and educational project. To learn how you can be a part of the Future City team, visit the national Web site at www.futurecity.org or the Georgia regional Web site at www.cacm.kennesaw.edu under programs in the Department of Architecture. v

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Building Your Future in Engineering

MATHCOUNTS By Betty Jean Jordan, PE | Georgia MATHCOUNTS Coordinator

Imagine 170 students from 64 schools excited about competing in…math! This was reality at the 2016 state MATHCOUNTS competition, held March 21 at Georgia Tech. MATHCOUNTS is a nationwide middle school math enrichment program. It targets middle school students because research has shown that this is the critical age during which young people form lifelong attitudes toward math. Our Georgia ‘mathletes’ at the state competition were top scorers at 12 chapter competitions held

throughout the state the previous month. Since the beginning of the school year, they had been training with free materials provided by the national MATHCOUNTS office. MATHCOUNTS problems cover a number of mathematic branches, including algebra, coordinate and plane geometry, probability and statistics, combinations and permutations, and logic. Coaches, who are usually teachers, can draw from school handbook problems, the Problem of the Week on the MATHCOUNTS Web site, and many other re-

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sources as they work and parents eagerly anwith their students. ticipated the announceCompetitions from ment of the top four the chapter level through students: Anup Bottu the national level follow from Westminster Midthe same format: written dle School, Holden Watrounds (Sprint, Target, son from Fulton Science and Team Rounds), folAcademy, Lawrence lowed by an oral compeZhou from Trickum tition with electronic Middle School, and buzzers (the Countdown Johnny Fang from River Round) for the top stuTrail Middle School. dents from the written These four comprised rounds. The Countdown Round is open to the team representing the public. Questions Georgia at the national are shown via projector, competition, held in allowing the audience to Mathletes in action during the state Countdown Round May in Washington, D.C. follow along. Mathletes Their coach was Sema Duzyol from Fulton Science never cease to amaze observers with their quickness and Academy, the first place team at the state competition. accuracy. At the state competition, one of the students Our Georgia team had an excellent showing at the nausually buzzed in before the announcer even finished tional competition, placing 13th out of 56 teams and each question, and the answer was almost always corwinning an award for Most Improved Team. rect! Here is a sample Countdown Round problem The National Society of Professional Engineers is from the state competition: proud to be a founding sponsor of MATHCOUNTS. The Georgia Society of Professional Engineers hosts the Question: The six-digit number 31A,B2B, where A and B represent distinct digits, is divisible by 225. What chapter and state competitions in Georgia. We engineers hope to show our MATHCOUNTS mathletes that is the value of A? they can continue their love of problem solving through a rewarding career in engineering, serving Answer: 2 others by using math and science to address some of the biggest challenges facing our society. v Following the Countdown Round, students, teachers,

Testing at the state MATHCOUNTS competition

Building Your Future in Engineering

Engineering for Development (E4D) at Mercer University By Dr. Michael MacCarthy and Dr. Laura W. Lackey | School of Engineering

Mercer E4D student Kyla Semmendinger samples water for testing from a household biosand filter in a rural village in Kenya

Mercer Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s School of Engineering (MUSE) has a significant history of working with local and international communities to improve health and livelihoods. In Georgia, MUSE has collaborated with Habitat for Humanity, local environmental utilities, and neighborhood groups on various student and faculty led research and service projects. Internationally, focus has been on

improved access to drinking water for communities in sub-Saharan Africa, development and fitting of low-cost prosthetics for amputees in Vietnam, and technical education of North Korean refugees, all through the universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mercer on Mission international service-learning program. Additionally, student-led design projects for MUSE senior capstone and honors courses usually have

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real-world clients, with an increasingly common focus on sustainability and the environment. Bringing together and further developing MUSE’s experiences in community development and appropriate technologies, Mercer now offers an undergraduate minor in Engineering for Development (http://engineering.mercer.edu/academics/undergraduate/egrdevelopment/), open to all engineering specialties. This program provides students with the appropriate skills to work as engineering professionals in the humanitarian and development sectors, both internationally and domestically. The focus of the Engineering for Development minor is sustainable solutions for people and the environment, with an emphasis on improving the lives of under-served populations. Engineering courses offered by the E4D program focus on appropriate solutions such as low-cost water supply and sanitation infrastructure and green energy technologies. In the E4D engineering courses, interdisciplinary topics such as community development, hygiene behavior change, and social marketing are also covered. Students take complementary Mercer courses outside the engineering school that cover global health, anthropology, and development theory, and the in-class E4D curriculum is strongly reinforced through a relevant capstone design project and participation in a Mercer On Mission service-learning trip. It is planned that a similar E4D graduate qualification will soon be offered, which will have an increased emphasis on research in developing communities. In addition to coursework-related opportunities and Mercer On Mission, MUSE provides internship opportunities through collaborations with international development partners, including various non-profit organizations. As examples of ongoing Mercer E4D activities, an international water program and a domestic green engineering program are highlighted:

Low-cost water supplies for developing communities In recent years, MUSE has led Mercer on Mission water development trips to Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Madagascar. These trips have all focused on helping communities and families improve their health and livelihoods through better access to drinking-quality water. A common theme has been the promotion of low-cost, appropriate systems that can be built locally and maintained by the users. In Uganda and Ethiopia, Mercer students have worked with local communities to

Building Your Future in Engineering

construct water supply boreholes using manual (human-powered) drilling techniques. In Kenya, students have worked with local technicians and families to build small individual ‘biosand’ household water treatment devices [Photo 1]. In Madagascar, E4D work with local communities includes working with local families and pump technicians to remove lead (Pb)-containing components from household pump and well systems, and assessing household potential for improved rainwater harvesting systems. Improving Household Environmental Practices in Macon, Georgia (and beyond)

E4D students and faculty have been working with local families and neighborhoods in Macon to promote environmentally friendly practices including improved water and energy efficiency, water re-use, recycling, and the use of renewable energy sources. This program focuses on selecting appropriate practices, finding ways to reduce technology implementation costs, and promoting these options to local families. As it develops, this E4D program aims to affect change beyond the local level. A 2015-2016 E4D senior capstone project focused on the design of a low-cost solar photovoltaic ‘starter’ system that provides over one-third of the required energy needs for a three-bedroom home. The now-operating system is designed to be expandable, which encourages the users to add additional solar panels in the future as they become more affordable. MUSE professors take the experiences and lessons learned from community projects and apply them back in the classroom in Macon, to help students understand the concepts of sustainable development and to also help teach fundamental engineering concepts. By combining developing community examples with engineering and science theory in the classroom as well as in the lab and field, students have the opportunity to learn the basics of engineering and science while their interest is peaked by its relevance to both developing and developed world contexts. For example, by using a gravityflow water supply system to help learn fundamentals of fluid mechanics, a slow-sand filter to understand biological water treatment and flow through porous media, or manual well drilling to help gain an understanding of hydrogeology and well components, real-world examples are used to illustrate the applicability of engineering and science theory. v

Coastal Pines Technical College

Like other programs offered at Coastal Pines Technical College (CPTC), the CPTC Engineering Technology Program was born of necessity, at the request of employers who needed a smart, well-trained workforce with real-world engineering experience, loyalty, and a strong work ethic. Trident Refit Facility officials at Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base, in particular, expressed a need for qualified applicants to fill jobs requiring mechanical and electrical engineering technology skills. In early 2015, the facility had begun to experience more in-depth maintenance periods, and program graduates were needed to support operations. Subsequently, the collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Camden site in Kingsland was chosen for CPTCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first engineering technology class, which began October 2015.

The Coastal Pines Technical College Engineering Technology Program continues to serve the workforce needs of the Trident Refit Facility and other employers in Southeast Georgia who need entry level engineers. The program also serves as a catalyst for attracting new business and industry to the area. CPTC officials partner with area development authorities to influence economic growth by promoting the program and other college programs and services, including customized training solutions. Engineering technology students begin program specific engineering core as early as the second semester of the program. The curriculum is taught using a blend of theory-based lecture and hands-on laboratory work to develop a broad

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knowledge of mechanical engineering for designing, developing, building, and testing mechanical devices including tools, engines, and machines. Students also learn the skills needed to design and develop computers, communications equipment, medical monitoring devices, navigational equipment, and other electrical and electronic equipment. Real-world scenarios are presented for creative solutions. Then, students test their designs or solutions as part of the experiential learning process. The CPTC Career Placement Director facilitates employment for graduates through a vast network of business and industry partnerships in the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thirteen county area: Appling, Bacon, Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Clinch, Jeff Davis, Glynn, Long, McIntosh, Pierce, Ware, and Wayne. To further develop their engineering and technology skills and knowledge, most engineering technology graduates work with, and learn from, engineers and scientists in fields such as manufacturing, healthcare, biomedical, and telecommunications. Other Technical & Industrial Program Options

For those interested in other technical and industrial programs, CPTC offers a number of options including credentials in the following program areas: Railroad Systems Management Technology, Naval Maintenance Apprentice, Machine Tool Technology, Industrial Systems Technology, Forestry Technology, Electronics and Telecommunications, Electrical Lineworker, Electrical Construction and Maintenance, Diesel Equipment Technology, Commercial Truck Driving, Automotive Technology, Auto Collision Repair, Air Conditioning Technology, Environmental Horticulture, and Timber Harvesting. About CPTC

Coastal Pines Technical College is a student-centered learning environment with more than 200 full- time dedicated faculty and staff and seven instructional sites. The Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest facility opened its doors January

Building Your Future in Engineering

2016 in Brunswick and now serves as the main building for the Golden Isles campus. A new building on the Waycross campus is well underway and will house the Computer Information Systems program and an expanding Welding and Joining Technology program. Student success drives the CPTC mission and culture, an organizational characteristic that ensures its status as the number one provider of technically trained employees in Southeast Georgia. Customized business and industry training, continuing education courses, and adult education opportunities are also provided to impact economic growth and sustain community partnerships. State and federal financial aid are available to those who qualify, and scholarship opportunities are provided by several sources, including the Coastal Pines Technical College Foundation. Coastal Pines Technical College is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate degrees, diplomas, and certificates of credit. To learn more, visit www.coastalpines.edu v

Coastal Pines Technical College Facts Faculty: 405 full-time and part-time instructors Program Areas: Allied Health, Business &

Computer, Technical & Industrial, Professional Service Locations: Waycross (Main), Alma, Baxley, Brunswick, Hazlehurst, Jesup, and Kingsland Average Enrollment: 2295 students Average Cost: Standard Tuition for 12 Credit Hours = $1,068* Basic Fees = $264** * $89 per credit hour for most programs **Some programs have additional fees.

A Journey to Success: How Family, Friends, and Mentors are the Key to Everything By Oko Buckle | Principal | Burns & McDonnell | Southeast Region

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a long road from Accra, Ghana, to Atlanta, Georgia. My path from a small country the size of Oregon on Africaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s west coast to Atlanta, Georgia, leading the Southeast office of one of the top engineering firms in the country, is a journey marked by good fortune, hard work, and most of all, by the love and support of family, friends, and mentors. I was born in 1969 to Ebenezer Charles PalmerBuckle and Beatrice Aba Buckle. I was the 11th of 12 children beating my twin brother, Paul, into the world by two minutes. Accra is by far the largest city in Ghana and plagued by many of the problems besetting large, overcrowded African cities. However, we were more fortunate than most. Though our large family could barely make ends meet, my father did reasonably well as a pharmacist and, we never lacked for food or basic necessities. Because money was tight, I learned at an early age that if I wanted something, I needed to figure a way to get it on my own. My clothing was one example. As the youngest in our large family, my twin brother and I

rarely wore any new clothes. Everything we had already had been worn by two or even three of our older brothers. As you can imagine, the clothes were often worn out and seldom fit well. So, being a very independentminded kid, l decided to learn how to make alterations from my oldest sister, who was an artist and also an excellent seamstress. She taught me well, and before long I was wearing clothes that fitted like they had come right from the store. I also learned salesmanship at an early age. After deciding I needed to make my own money, I began working at age ten with a local bakery, selling bread door-to-door on commission. My system was to take orders the day before and then deliver the baked items to houses in our neighborhood the next day. I was paid a commission based on the sales so before long I was buying a few things on my own, including the first new suits for my twin brother and me. In our family, expectations were high and our parents made it clear that nothing was more important

August 2016

than education. My dad always said: “The only property I can bequeath to you is education because that is all I can give to you and no one can take it away from you.” I was a very respectful and happy kid but was also driven to want to please my parents and older siblings by being at the top of my class every term. I attended public school during the primary grades because of our family’s tight money situation. But at age 12, when I took the national entrance examination for secondary school, I had a rude awakening. We were hoping my scores would qualify me for entrance to St. Peter’s Secondary School, a private and very prestigious boarding school attended by some of the most promising young scholars in Ghana. But even though I had always been the best in my class in all my years in public school, I was actually below the level St. Peter’s required for admission. This was the most disappointment I had ever experienced to that point in my life. I had always been the best. How could this be? But fortunately, my father believed in me and was a great salesman. He went to the school principal and guaranteed that if I was admitted on a one-year probation, that principal would soon see me rise to the top of my class. So, in 1982, I got into St. Peter’s, though thankfully my father had the wisdom to not tell me about his guarantee. I think he realized I would put myself under enough pressure being around many, many people who were much ‘smarter’ than me purely based on their common entrance examination scores. It was miserable adjusting to boarding school life, away from my large family who had always loved and supported me. Being so far behind in my education and not seeing my family for months at a time was a real struggle. Still, despite the challenges, I made very quick progress and caught up quickly. I succeeded in making my father very happy at the end of that first term when I placed third out of my class of 105. I don’t know exactly how the conversation went, but I understand my

Building Your Future in Engineering

father wrote a very jubilant ‘I-told-you-so’ letter to that school principal. Looking back on that time, a couple of things stand out for me. One is I understand very well from personal experience how so many bright, deserving kids can be handicapped by inadequately funded and under-resourced schools. And two, I have become a great believer in mentorship. No matter how talented any of us are, no one can make it entirely on our own. It is vital to be surrounded by loving family, teachers, and friends who believe in you and won’t let you give up on yourself. It’s also important to pay it back and be a mentor to others. Shortly after that first term ended at St. Peter’s, I qualified for a very prestigious scholarship that essentially paid for all my schooling expenses for the remainder of my years at secondary school. This was critical as it would have been a struggle financially for my family to keep me in school. The Ghana education system is very structured and before students finish secondary schooling, they are placed in one of three tracks—Science, Business or the Arts. I was always greatly interested in math and science and knew at a very early age I wanted to be either a doctor or an engineer. As I moved through school, I found I really loved solving math problems so it quickly became apparent my aptitude really lay with engineering. After graduating in 1989, then fulfilling a one-year mandatory obligation to teach in the national school system, I was accepted to the four-year electrical engineering program at the University of Science and Technology in Ghana. I chose electrical engineering simply because it was the toughest program. I am the type of person who quickly grows bored if I am not constantly challenging myself, so once I was in the program, I kept working hard, eventually graduating within the top one percent of my class.

While at the university, I adopted a ten year old boy, Kwame, who worked odd jobs in order to survive. He was such a bright and hardworking kid, I promised to take him back to the big city if he did well in his common entrance examination—a promise that I did not mean at the time. I just wanted to encourage him to take his schooling seriously. I paid his school fees in exchange for helping with the washing of my clothes and cleaning my room on campus. It was a win-win situation. He ended up passing the entrance examination and got accepted into one of the well-known secondary schools in the country. I called my older brother whom I lived with to let him know I was bringing Kwame home. His answer was that I would have to share my room with him. Long story short, Kwame ended up going back to the same university I attended and graduated with a degree in graphic design and at the top of his class. In 1995, after fulfilling another one-year mandatory teaching obligation, I moved back to Accra and was hired by GECAD Gh. Ltd., a company that serves as a liaison for multinational companies in Ghana like General Electric. My hard work was rewarded once again, and I was selected to serve as a project coordinator for the first natural gas-fired power generation project in Ghana. After a few months of 12 and 13-hour days, the gas project was going extremely well, and I was living very comfortably. I didn’t mind the long hours and was living better than most of my graduating class. I had a nice house with paid staff, a chauffeured car, and money in the bank. Then, one of my closest mentors, Ebow Essandoh, the owner of GECAD, threw another challenge at me. He pulled me aside and advised that he saw too much potential for me to remain on a career track in Ghana. It was another difficult moment but I knew he was telling the truth. I needed another challenge. So I took and passed the GRE examination and was accepted in 1996 into the Masters of Engineering program at Texas A&M University. When I left Ghana, I was confident I would have no trouble adjusting to life in America. But I quickly came to feel almost the way I did at age 13 when I left home the first time for boarding school. I was once again miserable, far away from my family, friends, and

support network, having difficulty adjusting to life in an all-new place. Ours is a close-knit, loving family, and there has never been a question that we all would step up to support each other in times of need. That’s what got me through these first difficult months in America. Part of my depression came from realizing that money in America did not go as far as it did in Ghana. I had gotten used to a very comfortable life but suddenly I felt the same as when I was a boy going door to door selling bread on commission. It came to a crisis point one night when I was on the verge of a breakdown. I could not get my emotions under control and finally, in desperation, called one of my brothers who had come earlier to America. It was the middle of the night but thankfully he picked up. After listening for a while, he finally calmed me down and assured me what I was going through was not unusual and in fact had happened to him. That seemed remarkable to me, that my brother who seemed so strong and resourceful had nearly had a breakdown just like me. His calm empathy was what I needed. His voice and his love were the best therapy I could have received. I was also blessed with a family in College Station, Texas, I like to call my American family. Brenda and Larry took me in as one of their own and that made for a much easier transition compared to others. Once again, love and family got me through. When I arrived at Texas A&M in College Station, my intention was to get my degree, return to Ghana, and resume my old life. But after two years, another door opened and I accepted a position at Black & Veatch in Kansas City as a substation engineer. A year later in 2000, I married my wife whom I had met barely a year prior to moving to the US. After we married, as you would expect, our plans to return to Ghana began shifting. Like me, my wife had come from Ghana to America to advance her schooling and had received her MBA degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Once we had made our adjustments to a new life and new culture, we began seeing all the things that are truly wonderful about America. Those of us who have come from abroad will always feel torn between our original homes and our new homeland, especially if we have left family behind. But the limitless potential and opportunities in America exist nowhere else in the world.

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As my wife and I spent more time here and started our family, it became clear to us this was really the best place to give our children the opportunities we wanted for them. It was also about this time that we began seeing how fragile Ghana was both politically and economically. Though we had overcome those conditions, it is natural to not want your children to experience hardship. By 2006, I was very satisfied at Black & Veatch and all was going well. I had a chance to work on interesting projects and advanced from substation engineer to project lead engineer. But my lifelong pattern continued, and I began thinking I should challenge myself again when an opportunity came along to move to Burns & McDonnell as senior electrical engineer and to help start up an all new substation engineering group in Atlanta. My interview process at Burns & McDonnell was exhaustive, spending hours with many different people learning about the company, their projects, and their plans for the future. But despite my willingness to take risks earlier in life, this was proving to be a difficult decision. I felt I was established and comfortable at Black & Veatch, a very good company doing very good projects. But a conversation with one of the Burns & McDonnell board members, Wally Womack, who served as T&D president at the time, changed my mind. Somehow, he knew I was a person who could not resist challenges and he hit a nerve when he told me I could choose to be as successful as I wanted to be at Burns & McDonnell. Because we are 100 percent employeeowned, you can take risks and challenge yourself and others to do more than you might think possible. Throughout my life, I have never been able to resist those kinds of challenges. So a few weeks later, I was packing for Atlanta and getting ready for more 12- and 13-hour days building our electrical substation business from the ground up. We started with two of us and today we have a 50-person team dedicated to a full range of transmission and distribution work for the largest utilities in the southeast. My latest opportunity and challenge came my way last year, when I was selected to succeed Arnold Olender as general manager of all Burns & McDonnell engineering operations in the Southeast. This opportunity is both gratifying and humbling

Building Your Future in Engineering

because it has re-confirmed many of the lessons I had learned earlier throughout my life. The first lesson, of course, is that we need to accept challenges when they come along, even if they make us uncomfortable. Accepting the challenge of taking Burns & McDonnellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Atlanta ofOko Buckle fice to the next level was not a simple decision. But I am confident we can reach our goals because of the second lesson I have learned about the importance of hiring great talent. You increase your odds of success if you understand the importance of building a team with the talent to do things you cannot. The third lesson I have learned along the way is that leadership demands a willingness to listen to what others are really telling you. This is a skill that requires empathy, a willingness to see a problem or question from another personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view. In looking back at my story today, I can see the ones who helped me the most were the ones who took the time to listen and understand what I was saying. My fourth lesson is that hard work and talent cannot get you all the way to your goals. None of us can succeed alone. All of us need the support of family, friends, and mentors, no matter how talented or hardworking we may be. Mentors, friends, and family are the support system all of us need. They are the ones who listen with empathy when you are at your lowest point and with joy when at your highest. Without them, we are lost. I have had many great mentors who have taught me that part of mentorship is paying it forward. When you mentor someone, you are doing it for their benefit as well as yourself. Your goal should be to prepare them to take over the job you are currently doing. You never know when the next great opportunity is going to come along for you. It becomes that much easier to take the leap forward when you have that person right behind you ready to go.v

Steel Drawbridge Now a Thing of the Past: Hazardous Two-Lane Road Gets a Facelift By Danelle Prezioso | Vice President of Communications and Marketing | MBP

Now halfway through a four-year roadway improvement project, the Dominion Boulevard/U.S. Route 17 route in Chesapeake, Virginia, was once labeled a safety hazard. Unbeknownst to most commuters traveling the 3.8-mile corridor, the accident rate was the highest in the Hampton Roads region. But the City of Chesapeake took notice and action. Rated by Congress as one of 20 National Highway System High Priority Corridors, the two-lane roadway and steel drawbridge could not accommodate traffic demands and the delays resulting from an average of 16 bridge lifts per day (more than 6000 per year). Designated a hurricane evacuation route, approaches to the bridge were prone to flooding. Construction began in 2013 and more than 100 personnel from various firms, along with the City of Chesapeake, are committed to the project. Replacing the two-lane drawbridge built in 1964 is a new four-lane, fixed-span, 95-foot high rise bridge which now eliminates the need for bridge openings and the stop-and-go traffic causing the majority of the accidents along the corridor. Maritime safety has also been drastically enhanced due to the increased overhead clearance. Capital costs for the project total $345 million and the City of Chesapeake is the sole owner, funding the project through toll revenues, existing reserves, bonds, state, and federal funding, along with a loan from the Virginia Transportation Infrastructure Bank. Tolls at $1 per vehicle, which will begin when the project is complete in 2017, will fund operations and maintenance costs, along with the repayment of bonds and loans. By avoiding the use of private investors via a Public-Private Partnership initiative, the city is able to exercise added control on toll increases. “These transportation improvements have already enhanced safety by reducing congestion and increasing traffic flow,” says Senior Vice President Michael Prezioso, PE, CCM with MBP, the construction man-

ager for the project. “It also improves hurricane evacuation and allows for faster response by public safety vehicles,” he adds. With one half of the bridge complete, commuters have already felt the positive impacts two years into construction and can look forward to getting to where they need to be safely and on time. City of Chesapeake Construction Project Highlights:

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Approximately ten miles of utilities have been relocated 400,000 cubic yards of excavation 1.2 million cubic yards of embankment fill 5.8 million linear feet of wick drains 50,000 cubic yards of cast-in-place concrete 2000+ precast concrete piles (157,500 linear feet – over 30 miles) 66,400 linear feet of precast concrete beams (over 13 miles) 245,000 square feet of Mechanically Stabilized Earth walls (retaining walls) 26,000 square feet of sound barrier 1,000 linear feet of box culvert (650 cy) 36,000 linear feet of reinforced concrete pipe 8 million pounds of reinforcing steel

Key Stakeholders:

Owner – City of Chesapeake Designer – PB Construction Manager – MBP Construction Engineer – Michael Baker International Inc. Geotechnical Engineer – GET Solutions Inc. Construction Inspector – NXL Construction Services Inc. Contractor – E.V. Williams Environmental Engineer – Kimley-Horn Public Relations – Pulsar Advertising

August 2016

Building Your Future in Engineering

August 2016

Auburn University

In April 2015, Because This is Auburn—A Campaign for Auburn University, a $1 billion fundraising effort, was publicly launched to propel the university forward through a renewed commitment to students, a continued promise to the state, and a shared responsibility to the world. Less than one year later, the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering has surpassed its $200 million goal by raising $210, 814, 329 to date. In fact, during the 2015 fiscal year, the college raised $62,356,049, or 208 percent of its goal. The development efforts by the college were the largest by any college or unit in a single year in the university’s history. John and Rosemary Brown, both 1957 Auburn graduates, announced the largest gift in university history through their commitment of $57 million to fund two major new facilities: the Brown-Kopel Engineering Student Achievement Center will be constructed with $30 million of the gift, with most of the remainder used to build a new performing arts center. This state-of-the-art engineering achievement center will enhance a multitude of student support activities, including student recruitment, curriculum advising, tutoring, career mentoring, job placement, and an industrial relations center. The center will also create student maker spaces and an engineering international experience office. Auburn Engineering is also embarking on a renovation that will help fulfill engineering’s vision of becoming the best student-centered engineering experience in America: The Carol Ann and Charles E. Gavin III Engineering Research Laboratory. The building was originally constructed in 1929 to prepare future engineers for the textile industry, and has served as a vital component to economic development in the region and state

Building Your Future in Engineering

for more than eight decades. An additive manufacturing facility will be incorporated into the building to allow students to gain experience with emerging fabrication technology, as well as the new Center for Advanced Polymers and Composites to continue the college’s research in this area and to meet industry needs. The renovated facility will include traditional research laboratories as well as a lab for the Nuclear Power Generations Systems Program, a new wind tunnel system, a series of hands-on student project areas, and collaborative meeting spaces. In addition, the home of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering will experience its own resurgence thanks to the generosity of Dorothy Davidson, chair and CEO of Huntsville's Davidson Technologies. Davidson’s gift honors her late husband Julian Davidson, a 1950 Auburn electrical engineering graduate and defense industry pioneer. The improved Broun Hall will include the latest instructional technologies and create a more dynamic setting for students. As of January 2016, Auburn University’s comprehensive campaign, Because This is Auburn, has raised $917 million of its $1 billion goal. The campaign runs through December 2017. These building additions and renovations will enhance the College of Engineering for generations to come and move the college forward in fulfilling its mission of being the best student-centered engineering experience in America. With ten academic programs, 4,968 undergraduate and 850 graduate students and more than 20 years of experience in offering online graduate and continuing education courses, Auburn Engineering provides the knowledge and experience necessary for any student on or off campus, to succeed in the professional world.v

Georgia Institute of Technology

August 2016

The College of Engineering (CoE) combines the resources of a major university with the benefits of an urban campus, giving students the tools they need to chase their ambitions. With dozens of degree programs across eight schools, the College has built a strong reputation in the United States and abroad, and graduates leave with skills, knowledge, and global savvy for a world increasingly dependent on engineering. The College has a strong national and international reputation ranking near the top in both undergraduate and graduate programs, and as the nation’s largest and most diverse engineering program, consistently ranks high among the major producers of engineering degrees awarded to women and underrepresented minority students. Degrees are offered in Aerospace Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Nuclear Engineering.

abroad, earning work experience and foreign-language skills that will stand out on resumes. Additionally, Georgia Tech boasts a satellite campus in France and several joint degree programs with other universities (some created just for engineers). Almost half of our students have been abroad by the time they graduate. Giving the Best Return on Investment

Engineering is constantly ranked among the highest-paying college majors, and Georgia Tech is one of the best universities at which to study it. The Institute offers excellent returns on investment to all its students, whether they come from Georgia or elsewhere.v

G EOR G IA TE CH FACT S Median Starting Salary for Georgia Tech CoE Graduates with Bachelor’s Degree

Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders

CoE prepares its students not just for jobs in engineering but for the responsibilities of leadership. Its focuses on innovation and entrepreneurship give students an edge, allowing them to create inventions, start businesses, and design solutions to global problems—all before graduation. Alumni go on to careers across all walks of engineering, as well as in professions like law, medicine, and business. Our students work hands-on alongside renowned faculty on meaningful research projects with real human benefits. Educating Global Citizens

Aerospace Engineering Biomedical Engineering Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Engineering Electrical Engineering Industrial Engineering Materials Science & Engineering Mechanical Engineering Nuclear Engineering All College of Engineering

$67,800 $65,000 $72,000 $57,100 $75,000 $69,000 $68,000 $67,700 $68,000 $66,000 $68,000

CoE students have dozens of opportunities for international travel. They can also pursue internships and co-ops

Building Your Future in Engineering

Georgia Southern Building Your Future in Engineering at Georgia Southern

The hallmark of a CEIT (College of Engineering and Information Technology) education is experiential learning, which includes hands-on application-based learning through lab courses, undergraduate research with faculty, and co-ops or internships with industry. These allow you to apply what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned in the classroom to solve real world problems. All of our faculty also work hard to make sure that what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re learning is the most recent, up-and-coming information available in your field of study. In fact, our faculty are being recognized more and more for their research on the cutting edge of technology, and we pride ourselves on preparing our graduates to be

the technology and engineering leaders of the future. As a CEIT graduate, you might develop the next antenna for wireless communications, or a part for a driverless car; design a system to bring clean water to an underdeveloped region, or a structure that is earthquake safe; create a new sustainable power source that provides clean energy, or find a way of detecting toxic agents and chemicals. With strong foundations in math and science, our graduates apply the technical knowledge and handson experience they received at Georgia Southern to conceive, design, and implement new processes, products, and systems that make our everyday lives better. Our fac-

August 2016

ulty and graduates are at the forefront of new technology. We come up with solutions to problems that no one else knows the answer to; we are part of a profession that makes life better for humanity; we find answers to the challenges confronting society; and we make a difference in peoples’ lives. If that sounds exciting to you, we want you to get your degree at the College of Engineering and IT at Georgia Southern. Here are some examples of how the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering & IT at Georgia Southern has fulfilled its promise of excellent education in the past year. • The Eagle Motorsports Baja SAE team (a student club in MechE) was the first collegiate team in 30 years invited to participate in the Baja 1000, the international competition held in Mexico in November 2015. •

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The Robotics Team made Georgia Southern history by earning First Place in the IEEE Region 3 Robotics Open Hardware competition in spring 2016.

•

Dr. Danda B. Rawat, assistant professor of EE, received a very prestigious NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award for his research on “Leveraging Wireless Virtualization for Enhancing Network Capacity, Coverage, Energy Efficiency, and Security.”

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Rocio Alba-Flores, associate professor of EE, and Valentin Soloiu, professor of MechE, received a three-year NSF grant for a project to “ENgage Educators in Renewable enerGY (ENERGY).”

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Mujibur Khan, MechE, began the process of filing for a patent on his research in the delivery of cancer-curing pharmaceuticals using nanofibers and nanocapsules.

A group of IT students in the IT Capstone course won First Place and Best in Show in the Charleston Defense Contractors Association (CDCA) Student Mobile App Competition in December 2015. The team won with their Allerg-Ease app, which allows people with food sensitivities to identify safe menu options at six popular restaurant chains. The team is working to expand the app to additional restaurant chains.

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The College is developing courses in cybersecurity and electronic warfare in collaboration with military professionals.

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A team of students from the Renewable Energy & Engines Lab presented their research on emissions reduction at the 2015 Georgia Environmental Conference and was awarded First Prize.

In 2017, the College will host its second annual CEIT Research Symposium, primarily to showcase undergraduate research.

Consider building your future in engineering at Georgia Southern! v

Building Your Future in Engineering

Building a Solid Foundation: Why Being an Ethical Engineer Matters By Paul Drake | Grossman, Furlow & Bayó LLC

While I am not an engineer, I have heard it said that laying the foundation for a building takes up a vast majority of the project time and budget. There is good reason for this: a strong foundation is the key to a sturdy, well-built building. A good engineer knows they have one chance to lay a foundation properly. A great engineer understands that the results of laying an improper foundation can be disastrous, putting the whole project, as well as the public, at risk. These ‘common sense’ principles in the practice of engineering are just as important when they are applied to your license to practice engineering. Thankfully, the difference is that it is never too late to lay a proper ethical foundation in the practice of engineering. This article will briefly explain the sources of engineering law in Florida, as well as ethical considerations within those sources. In addition, this article will discuss common ethical issues engineers face. Finally, this article will cite to codes of ethics adopted by several engineering organizations in an attempt to show how those codes of ethics relate back to the common ethical issues, as well as the definition of ‘misconduct’ in engineering laws and rules. 44

August 2016

Engineers in Florida are regulated by two Florida Statutes, Chapters 455 and 471, Florida Statutes. Chapter 455, Florida Stat., contains a number of laws applicable to all practitioners under the umbrella of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), including general grounds for disciplinary action against all DBPR licensees. Chapter 471, Florida Stat., contains regulations that apply only to engineers in Florida. This chapter is usually called the ‘Florida Engineering Practice Act,’ and fulfills several key duties. First, it provides the requirements for licensure as a Professional Engineer in Florida. Second, it creates the BOPE and grants the BOPE the authority to promulgate rules. Third, it provides the grounds for disciplinary action against a Professional Engineer. In addition to the Florida Statutes cited above, the BOPE Rules, found in Chapter 61G15, Florida Administrative Code, contain all the rules promulgated by the BOPE, including grounds for disciplinary proceedings and disciplinary guidelines. It is important to note that engineering is a ‘profession,’ as opposed to a job or occupation. As such, it requires education, skills, judgment, and the exercise of discretion. Most engineering Codes of Ethics stress that engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public. This means that ethics in engineering is a broad professional concern rather than simply a personal concern. Indeed, the definition of ‘engineering’ in Section 471.005(7), Florida. Stat., specifically describes a number of services and activities “insofar as they involve safeguarding life, health, or property.” Engineers may at times be pressured to ‘think like a manager, not an engineer,’ especially when working for a non-engineer. However, ‘the boss made me do it’ is never an available defense, and may subject you to discipline for misconduct or for negligence in the practice of engineering. Understanding the sources of engineering law is critical when examining the ethical issues engineers face. Some of the most common ethical issues are the acknowledgment of mistakes, conflicts of interest, product and project safety, responsibility arising from actions of others, whistle-blowing, cutting corners, and plan-stamping. When examining these ethical issues, it is important to start from the ground up. To begin, ethics is at its core the study of the moral principles that govern the conduct of individuals or groups. More specifically, engineering ethics are the rules and standards that govern the conduct

Building Your Future in Engineering

and interactions of engineers as professionals. Most engineering societies and associations have a ‘Code of Ethics.’ These codes are usually stated as general principles and almost never describe specific factual situations. Instead, they serve as a starting point for making ethical decisions. Take time to examine the Code of Ethics provided by your engineering society or association, and feel free to research the Codes of Ethics of other societies and associations for comprehensive study. When looking for Codes of Ethics or Fundamental Principles in engineering, one does not have to look far. For example, the Fundamental Principles of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) state that “engineers must uphold and advance the integrity, honor and dignity of the engineering profession.” This is accomplished by having engineers use their knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare and the environment; by being honest and impartial and serving with fidelity the public, their employers, and clients; by striving to increase the competence and prestige of the engineering profession; and supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines. In addition to their Fundamental Principles, the ASCE has Fundamental Canons which state that, among other things, engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health, and welfare of the public and shall strive to comply with the principles of sustainable development in the performance of their professional duties; that engineers shall perform services only in areas of their competence; that engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner; and that engineers shall act in professional matters for each employer or client as faithful agents or trustees, avoiding conflicts of interest. It should be noted that the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and other engineering organizations also have a Code of Ethics, which states very similar principles as the Fundamental Principles and Canons of the ASCE. Needless to say, there are several ethical principles that permeate through the various engineering organizations, several of which touch directly on the common ethical issues engineers face. The legal principle that ties these Codes of Ethics and Fundamental Principles to the law regulating engineers is due process. Due Process is afforded to every engineer in Florida, and every licensee in Florida for that matter. Due

Process requires that the laws and rules which may be used to discipline a licensee provide reasonable and meaningful notice to licensees of the conduct that is prohibited. Therefore, any behavior that is not explicitly listed in the laws and rules as grounds for disciplinary action cannot (should not) be used by the BOPE to support discipline. Even though engineers should always strive to take the most ethical approach possible, it should be noted that an engineer cannot be disciplined for being ‘unethical,’ or for violating a provision of an ethics code. However, many ethical situations are covered under the Board’s definition of misconduct in Section 61G15-19.001(6), F.A.C. Therefore, abiding by the Code of Ethics adopted by your engineering society of choice will more often than not keep you from running afoul of the BOPE’s Rule on misconduct. The definition of ‘misconduct,’ found in Section 61G15-19.001(6), F.A.C., is multi-faceted and contains several examples of what is considered by the BOPE to be misconduct. These definitions of misconduct have ethical counterparts which can be found in the various Codes of Conduct and Fundamental Principles. For this article, four definitions of misconduct and their Code of Conduct counterparts are listed, but there are many more of both. It is the duty of the engineer reading this article to conduct independent review of the engineering laws and rules, as well as various Codes of Ethics and Fundamental Principles. According the BOPE Rule found in Section 61G1519.001(6), F.A.C., misconduct includes expressing an opinion publicly on an engineering subject without being informed as to the facts relating thereto and being competent to form a sound opinion thereupon. This example of misconduct fits neatly beside the statement in the NSPE Code of Ethics, which states: “Engineers shall issue public statements only in an objective and truthful manner.” Another definition of misconduct in Section 61G1519.001(6), F.A.C., is being untruthful, deceptive, or misleading in any professional report, statement, or testimony whether or not under oath or omitting relevant and pertinent information from such report, statement or testimony when the result of such omission would or reasonably could lead to a fallacious conclusion on the part of the client, employer or the general public. Again, this is covered in the NSPE Code of Ethics when it states

that engineers should “Avoid deceptive acts.” Misconduct is also defined as performing an engineering assignment when not qualified by training or experience in the practice area involved, or affixing a signature or seal to any engineering plan or document in a subject matter over which a professional engineer lacks competence because of inadequate training or experience. As per the NSPE Code of Ethics, engineers should only “Perform services only in their area of competence.” The last example of misconduct that will be provided states that a professional engineer shall not knowingly associate with or permit the use of his name or firm name in a business venture by any person or firm which he knows or has reason to believe is engaging in business or professional practices of a fraudulent or dishonest nature. According to the NSPE Code of Ethics counterpart, “Engineers shall not use association with a non-engineer, a corporation or partnership as a ‘cloak’ for unethical acts.” In addition, the ASME Code of Ethics states that “Engineers shall associate only with reputable persons or organizations.” In order to develop a sturdy ethical foundation, there are several questions an engineer can work through when presented with an ethical dilemma. First, if the action in question is ethically or legally wrong, simply refrain from performing that activity. Second, you must always ask if the action in question complies with your values as an engineer. If it does not, that is a potential red flag to consider. Third, do not be afraid to ask how the action will look to other engineers. Peer pressure is not always a bad thing, especially if it helps build strong ethics. Finally, if you would feel bad by doing the action, you may want to stop and ascertain why. Do not be afraid to consult with close colleagues, or even an attorney, for particularly troubling or borderline issues. Remember, Rome was not built in a day, and neither will the ethical foundation on which you should build your engineering practice.

Paul Drake is an associate with the law firm of Grossman, Furlow, and Bayó in Tallahassee, Florida. He represents professionals in front of various regulatory boards, including the Board of Professional Engineers. v

August 2016

Building Your Future in Engineering

Kennesaw State University

Engineering better vehicles, making solar energy more cost-competitive or securing cyberspace—the extraordinary possibilities to tackle some of society’s most critical problems are at the hands of future engineers. Students today are often drawn to the field of engineering because of their desire to solve problems, create innovative products or improve processes. At Kennesaw State University, engineering students enjoy an array of distinct academic degree programs, but also are attracted by the university’s affordability and strong job prospects after graduation. Gaining real-world know-how through industry projects, hands-on research, and collaboration with others prepares students for future industry challenges. Popular programs The Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at Kennesaw State’s Marietta Campus houses 22 programs in disciplines such as civil and construction engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Some programs are new to the College, including a new degree program in environmental engineering, which begins this fall and focuses on protecting public health and minimizing human impact on the environment. The university’s mechatronics engineering degree program—or ‘robotics on steroids’—combines electrical, computer, and mechanical engineering with project management, and is one the fastest growing careers focused on the design and enhancement of robotics and automated systems. It is one of only nine such degree programs in the U.S.

August 2016

The University also offers one of only two undergraduate programs in Georgia in systems engineering, a highly demanded degree by employers, which blends engineering, systems thinking, and management to address a company’s operational functions. “I chose systems engineering because it is the best of both worlds. It allows me to explore the business side of engineering while still developing a strong understanding of typical engineering concepts,” said student Valerie Washington, who was named Georgia Engineering Student of the Year by the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers. Students can also minor in nuclear engineering, aerospace engineering, and renewable energy, giving graduates the qualifications to enter careers in the aerospace, automotive or energy industries. Niche programs like these, as well as the engineering technology programs that have an applied engineering focus, offer abundant job opportunities after graduation. The return on investment for KSU’s engineering students is one of the highest in the country, according to a 2015 report by PayScale.com. In other rankings, The Princeton Review recently named KSU’s Computer Game Design and Development program in the College of Computing and Software Engineering among the top 50 in the nation. A part of the software engineering department, the program is the only ABET-accredited program of its kind in the nation in which students design, develop, and produce digital media, such as mobile and video games, for entertainment, research, and education. Industry insight Besides a robust curriculum, faculty with strong ties to business and industry bring abundant value to the classroom and students’ overall educational experience through hands-on research and industry projects. Washington is working with the wearable technology industry, studying the impact of fitness technology on people’s lives, as an undergraduate research assistant alongside her industrial and systems engineering professors. Her research will benefit the industry, bringing creative ideas to a booming market. Other students are conducting research in solar cell development and autonomous vehicles. Beyond research, these strong industry partnerships help faculty bring real-world problems into the classroom. Companies such as Railserve Inc, Mohawk, and Building Your Future in Engineering

Lockheed Martin tap engineering students to explore industry problems, develop proof of concept or improve company processes. Over the years, student-designed prototypes have helped companies resolve their industry problems. While these projects serve as the pinnacle of students’ undergraduate experience and provide the project-based learning that the Southern Polytechnic College is best known for, students also learn through hands-on opportunities outside of the classroom. “For me, the faculty teach the hard and soft skills needed to excel outside of the classroom,” Washington said. “I know that I now have the skills to go into whatever field or industry I choose.” Internships and co-ops have given Kennesaw State engineering students opportunities to gain practical skills through work at global companies such as AT&T, Delta Airlines, Shaw Industries, and Disney Imagineering. Competitive creativity Competition teams are another way for students to use their creative problem-solving skills and diligently work in a collaborative atmosphere. The College offers more than a dozen teams that compete nationally in specialty areas such as civil engineering, robotics, and engineering design. Carter Knight, a mechanical engineering major and president of KSU’s Electric Vehicle Team, led his team to a first-place finish this year at the International evGrandPrix, an intercollegiate competition of electricpowered go-karts. Knight, who has been involved with the team for the past few years, said he sees tremendous benefit in designing and building an electric vehicle from scratch for each of the team members. By blending their classroom and team experience, some members of the team have obtained valuable on-the-job training and knowledge at electric-focused companies such as Tesla and Wheego. Knight said that his involvement with the team has helped to shape his own college and career path. “I had no idea what I wanted to major in when I came to Kennesaw State, but I knew it would be something in engineering,” he said. With so many options in the engineering field and the interdisciplinary nature of the academic programs in the College, students are able to find the perfect fit at Kennesaw State. v 49

Mercer University

e School of Engineering is one of twelve colleges and schools within Mercer University that also includes medicine, law, business, music, education, nursing, pharmacy, health professions, liberal arts, theology, and adult education. With a full-time faculty of 37 professors and over 700 students, the school prides itself on an environment where everyone matters and student success is priority one. Mercer Engineering is about innovation through teaching, learning, creating, discovering, inspiring, empowering, and serving. Our graduates enter the work force equipped with real-world education and experience, and a commitment to serving their communities. Innovation began in the early 1980s when engineering leaders from central Georgia and the U.S. Air Force approached Mercer University with an unusual request: create a school to help fill their need for engineers with a solid, multidisciplinary foundation. Bolstered by public and private support, the Mercer University School of Engineering opened its doors in 1985.

programming, technical communication, statics, dynamics, electronic circuits, probability and statistics, thermodynamics, engineering economics, and introduction to design. ese engineering courses are coupled with courses from science, mathematics, and our General Education Program in the first two years to prepare students for study in each of our specialization sequences. Mercer Engineering oﬀers an ABET-accredited BS degree in engineering with six specialties: Biomedical, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, Industrial, and Mechanical. BS degrees in Industrial Management and Technical Communication are also oﬀered. Students can apply for admission to our Graduate School as a rising senior and join the School of Engineering 4+1 program where a BS and MS is earned in 5 years. Students admitted to our graduate program may apply up to nine semester hours of graduate level-study towards their BS degree.

Innovation in Teaching and Learning e BS in Engineering features a core curriculum where all students complete foundation courses in computer

August 2016

Innovation by Creating and Discovering As our engineering students complete their coursework they become actively engaged in design and production of components and systems starting in the freshman year. We believe in hands-on learning and letting students create designs that can be tested. Students ‘discover’ engineering in numerous laboratory exercises and seniors complete a full-year design project by working in teams to resolve a real client’s needs. Seniors are given private laboratory space for their projects and share their work publically in our annual Engineering Expo each April. is year Mercer launched a Center for Innovation that provides support to students interested in entrepreneurship that allows engineering design work to transition to an actual business start-up. Internships and research are vital components of Mercer's engineering program. An undergraduate internship is an opportunity to experience engineering and Mercer offers a wide array of internship opportunities. Our research partner is the Mercer Engineering Research Center (MERC), an operating unit of Mercer University devoted to the performance of sponsored scientific and engineering research for governmental, industrial, and commercial markets. With over 200 staff members, MERC is an ideal organization for student internships and research collaboration. Innovation by Inspiring and Empowering Mercer Engineering looks for faculty and students who are willing and able to master modern engineering knowhow and then engage in efforts to design and test a solution. is year marks the second edition of what we call the Mercer Summer Engineering Experience (MeSEE for short). MeSEE projects are crafted by faculty members who formulate a engineering problem and then recruit teams of students to work with for ten weeks in the summer. Students get academic credit for their efforts and experience a product development environment that builds solutions and launches research projects. We also offer an Honors Program to our top students where they can begin design projects as freshmen using laboratories, tools, and equipment supplied by faculty advisors. Innovation by Serving Frequently our design projects are focused on meeting the needs of people in our community or developing coun-

Building Your Future in Engineering

tries. is year we launched a “Engineering for Development” minor that any Mercer student can undertake. is minor will combine academic study with field work to provide core engineering skills to help communities with housing, drinking water, electric power, prosthetics, and similar needs. is minor gives our students an opportunity to serve and grow as individuals. In addition our popular ‘Mercer on Mission’ program sponsors service trips to locations around the world each summer where groups of students team up with faculty to meet the needs of a developing community. Innovation Ahead Engineering is about turning ideas into reality. e Mercer School of Engineering intends to focus on three things: growth, innovation, and engagement with our stakeholders through collaboration. We know students want to master technology and then use it to establish themselves professionally as well as to serve their communities. Innovation will help us grow and allow for more engagement with a global community. We believe there is more innovation ahead! v

MERCE R UN IVERSITY FACTS Faculty: 37 Dean: Wade H. Shaw, Ph.D, P.E. (478) 301-2459 Undergraduate Engineering Students: 625 Graduate Engineering Students: 140 Distance Learning: Yes BS Engineering: Biomedical, Computer, Electrical,

Environmental, Industrial, Mechanical BS also in Industrial Management & Technical Communication MS Engineering: Biomedical, Computer, Electrical, Engineering Management, Environmental, Mechanical, Software - MS also in Environmental Systems, Software Systems, Technical Communication Management, & Technical Management Scholarships: Mercer offers numerous scholarships that can cover up to full tuition. Learn More: engineering.mercer.edu

Middle Georgia State University

August 2015

Middle Georgia State University proudly participates in the Regents’ Engineering Transfer Program (RETP), which lets you begin your engineering studies here. If you successfully complete RETP requirements, which usually takes about two years, you may transfer directly to Georgia Tech to finish your degree. e program may expand to allow transfers to other Georgia institutions with engineering programs You’ll take all of your math and science courses, as well as some engineering courses, at Middle Georgia State. Our professors work closely with Georgia Tech faculty to make sure the curriculum is well coordinated with that of Georgia Tech. Successfully complete all RETP requirements and you will be admitted to Georgia Tech’s bachelor of science in engineering program. Here are a few more things you should know: • RETP is not a degree program but a curriculum of courses designed to make transfer as an engineering student to Georgia Tech as seamless as possible. •

To be admitted as an RETP student at Georgia Tech, you must:

Building Your Future in Engineering

• complete the list of mandatory courses • have an overall GPA of at least 3.0; some programs require at least a 3.3 GPA • have a math/science GPA of at least 3.0; some programs require at least a 3.3 GPA •

More than 75 percent of Middle Georgia State students who transferred to Georgia Tech through RETP completed their engineering degree. • RETP makes engineering programs more accessible to students throughout Georgia. You can save money in tuition, fees, housing and meals because you attend a university closer to home for your first two years of study.

Want to learn more about RETP at Middle Georgia State? Contact Dr. Chris Hornung, Middle Georgia State’s RETP coordinator: chris.hornung@mga.edu 478.471.2751 mga.edu/RETP v

2016 Salary Survey of Northeast & South Atlantic Engineering Firms Welcome to the seventh edition of Zweig Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Salary Survey of Northeast and South Atlantic Engineering Firms, which combines what previously consisted of two reports on salary trends in the Northeast and Southeast regions. î &#x201C;is report shows base salaries for employees in engineering firms throughout North New England (Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire), South New England (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island), New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., Virginia, Georgia, N./S. Carolina, West Virginia, and Florida mean

median

lower quartile

upper quartile

Civil Engineer Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$51,846 $76,225 $98,222 $118,453 $141,669

$52,000 $76,240 $94,530 $119,431 $137,756

$47,960 $70,720 $90,000 $110,088 $126,305

$54,297 $84,000 $110,000 $124,750 $160,000

Structural Engineer Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$54,871 $77,560 $96,229 $120,522 $123,800

$56,000 $75,000 $95,000 $110,000 $124,203

$51,500 $71,250 $83,218 $107,000 $106,000

$56,741 $84,530 $108,749 $135,000 $150,000

Electrical Engineer Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$56,718 $77,223 $109,462 $121,875 $159,000

$56,000 $72,000 $95,000 $110,000 $150,000

$50,376 $71,292 $93,444 $110,000 $130,000

$62,000 $78,990 $123,000 $129,376 $200,000

Mechanical Engineer Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$58,821 $79,466 $99,456 $118,044 $150,000

$58,500 $77,000 $95,000 $110,356 $140,000

$56,000 $73,528 $92,750 $110,000 $127,500

$62,500 $82,000 $98,860 $115,664 $162,500

Geotechnical Engineer/Scientist Entry-Level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$46,488 $80,522 $81,424 $111,429 $142,879

$46,488 $83,437 $81,424 $100,307 $131,636

$44,732 $66,058 $80,526 $99,840 $114,318

$48,244 $97,900 $82,320 $111,000 $165,818

$51,122 $76,094 $110,538 $112,169 $170,031 mean

$52,000 $75,500 $95,000 $108,500 $181,250 median

$50,000 $70,637 $83,575 $94,923 $160,656 lower quartile

$54,548 $79,250 $136,250 $126,250 $190,625 upper quartile

Environmental Engineer/Scientist Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

August 2016

Traffic/Transportation Engineer Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$52,617 $75,954 $103,291 $127,698 $149,573

$53,000 $73,641 $97,566 $128,877 $145,000

$48,006 $67,825 $86,000 $110,618 $131,747

$56,004 $86,045 $115,190 $143,010 $177,174

Planner Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$48,563 $73,585 $88,687 $127,179 $130,860

$47,507 $73,705 $90,626 $119,808 $125,008

$41,600 $59,083 $80,746 $115,000 $118,500

$55,000 $83,000 $96,493 $144,157 $139,381

GIS Professional Entry-level Project engineer Project manager Department manager Principal

$41,192 $63,239 $72,410 $90,333 $118,364

$41,600 $57,346 $72,450 $90,000 $140,000

$35,504 $55,500 $63,000 $85,000 $121,056

$43,680 $75,005 $81,723 $93,000 $150,000

Land Surveyors Instrument Person I Survey Technician Field Survey Party Chief Project Surveyor Department Manager

$37,422 $43,675 $55,031 $75,488 $103,683

$38,000 $42,851 $52,968 $73,150 $104,312

$27,907 $38,095 $48,347 $68,848 $92,950

$38,672 $44,309 $58,964 $78,668 $109,733

Civil Engineering Technician Entry-level Mid-level Senior-level

$51,513 $50,501 $66,532

$38,000 $51,000 $60,320

$35,751 $38,220 $50,404

$46,875 $60,000 $75,000

Mechanical Engineering Technician Entry-level Mid-level Senior-level

$42,662 $67,500 $79,278

$40,000 $52,000 $63,000

$35,550 $51,250 $60,043

$46,260 $76,250 $80,000

CADD Operator Entry-level Mid-level Senior-level

$37,911 $48,024 $59,963

$37,918 $45,000 $60,000

$32,182 $39,614 $46,280

$40,000 $50,000 $66,350

Field Technician Entry-level Mid-level Senior-level

$34,421 $43,946 $61,618

$31,494 $45,000 $57,000

$28,861 $40,877 $50,495

$40,752 $46,801 $76,156

* Based on a sample too small to yield meaningful values.

Building Your Future in Engineering

Spelman What Makes Spelman Stand Out? By Myra Burnett, PhD | Provost Spelman College | Interviewed by Daniel Simmons | Staff Writer

Spelman is outstanding in many ways, but with regard to STEM education in particular, we are quite distinguished. If you look at the statistics on the National Science Foundation Web site, you’ll find that we are the number one producer of black female students who go on to receive Ph Ds in STEM fields, and we are the number two or three producer of black students (male and female) who go onto receive Ph D.s in STEM fields. And that's because we have made a concerted effort to build our STEM program over the past 30 years. It started with a small very committed faculty and committed leadership that built up the infrastructure for science research and also built up the capacity for students to be engaged in research. I think that’s the key of our program, we really try to do a lot on research with students both here in the college and during summers away at other places. Students leave here with a strong professional identity and a sense of their own capabilities as researchers and that enables them to be successful when they get to graduate school In fact, we recently had occasion to address this very question: to ask ourselves, “What is it that we offer here that distinguishes us from other institutions?” and the answer that kept coming up was that we’re able to provide the engineering education in the context of Liberal Arts. Furthermore, we provide it in the context of the students’ own cultural background. What we have found with women students is that they do like to be connected to something meaningful in their social environment; part of our college mission is to promote social change in the community and in the world at large. When the students understand this, they come here with the expectation that no matter what their major is, they have an opportunity to impact social change. And so when you think about that in the context of engineering, it means solving problems in a way that’s meaningful to the student and meaningful to the world at large. We are able to help them do that while also learning

about African Diaspora history, learning about music, learning about politics, etc. and so it’s a very rich environment for thinking about who they are as people as well as learning about their particular fields of study. The importance of encouraging women to go into STEM fields

We believe that our institution is itself a groundbreaking institution and so we’re very comfortable with breaking new ground and territory for women across the board. Spelman has a very long history of being stellar in education and in the arts and we’re reviving that right now in other areas. If you look at our psychology department, we have a large number of psychologists who come out of that and also get Ph D.s. We have a large number of women who come out of the philosophy department and get Ph D.s in philosophy, so it’s not just STEM. A lot of our students are interested in stem, and unlike some places where you find a lot of students come into the institution and start in STEM and then drop out for one reason or the other. We tend to retain STEM students better, and I think we retain them better because of how we approach our instruction with students. I would argue that it’s just as appropriate for women to be in engineering as it is for women to be in English or any other field. In fact, it brings something to the engineering discipline that probably is an enhancement and that’s what the whole notion is behind a lot of our thinking around diversity; that when you bring in different ideas and different perspectives, you get an addition, not a subtraction. Is there a particular discipline within STEM that female students tend to gravitate towards?

We leave them to choose the field that they want but, from the statistics that I’ve looked at, we have quite a large number that major in chemical engineering as well as quite a significant number that major in mechanical

August 2016

engineering. Beyond that, we also have lots of students interested in biomedical engineering. We have a number of students who have been impacted by cancer and so they have a great interest in identifying solutions for those sorts of diseases. Do most STEM students start off in a STEM field or do they change majors along the way?

Most of the students who are in STEM as graduates knew that’s what they wanted to study when they came in. That’s part of the requirement to be successful especially in our engineering program because it’s a three-two program so they have to get started right away with it. But that’s true for most of our STEM disciplines, unlike some of the other liberal arts fields where they may not come into the major for two years. For the STEM fields, they come into the major a little bit that very first year. So they have to have a sense coming in that they want to do that, otherwise they will fall behind and will need to either stay a little bit longer or do a lot of summer school. Could you tell us about any recent changes or developments that you’re especially excited about?

We are always striving to make our programs better and

Building Your Future in Engineering

stronger, and one of the things that we’re doing now is rebuilding our arts programs to make them more reflective of what’s going on in contemporary arts programs; i.e., to incorporate more technology. For instance, our sculptor, who is working in the innovation lab, is helping students learn how to design objects in a CAD program and then prototype them using a 3D printer. Another thing that’s going on our campus is that we’re re-doing several of our classrooms to make them active learning spaces. So rather than having a lecture style setup, the student seating is all modular and can be rearranged to suit different instructional styles. For instance, they’ll be able to easily make a transition from a more intimate small group setup to a larger general instruction type arrangement. We have areas in the room that are dedicated to, for instance, design or problem solving work, and then they can come together later to review and talk about what they’ve done. This is much more engaging for students than just sitting and listening. When we think about what institutions are challenged to do these days, oftentimes the biggest challenge is to pique the students’ interest and cause them to want to go beyond simply what’s in the book and course information; and we’ve found that high student engagement is absolutely crucial in accomplishing this. v

University of Georgia

FIRST YEAR CLASS PROFILE FALL SEMESTER 2015 448 STUDENTS

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Male Female Asian African American American Indian Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Hispanic/Latino(a)Ethnicity Multiracial White Not Identified Georgia Residents Out of State Student

Average SAT Total Average High School GPA

332 (74%) 116 (26%) 60 (13.4%) 50 (11.2%) 1 (0.2%) 1 (0.2%) 24 (5%) 17 (4%) 290 (65%) 5 (1%) 414 (92%) 34 (8%) 1289 3.85

Total Enrollment = 1,618 Students Undergraduates = 1,531 First Years = 448 Dual Enrollment = 7 Post Baccalaureate = 9 Graduate Students = 87 Masters = 39 Doctoral = 48

August 2016

e University of Georgia College of Engineering is a dynamic community of engineers, scientists and scholars located in one of the nation’s best public universities and one of the nation’s best college towns. Since its formation in 2012, the UGA College of Engineering has come a long way very quickly. e college is one of the fastest growing programs at UGA and one of the fastest growing public colleges of engineering in the nation. Fall 2015 enrollment topped 1,700 students, a three-fold increase since the college’s founding. “Students recognize the value of a rigorous, interdisciplinary and engaging engineering curriculum taught in the heart of a great liberal arts university,” said Donald J. Leo, Dean of the UGA College of Engineering and the UGA Foundation Professor in Engineering. “I encourage students interested in engineering to explore everything our college and UGA has to offer, including undergraduate research, student clubs and organizations, study abroad options as well as amazing internship and co-op opportunities.” e UGA College of Engineering offers 15 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in agricultural engineering, biochemical engineering, biological engineering, civil engineering, computer systems engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, environmental engineering, and mechanical engineering. UGA is the only university in the state to offer degree programs in agricultural, biochemical and biological engineering. e UGA College of Engineering also offers a unique dual degree in German and Engineering. is program includes a year of study abroad at a leading engineering college in Germany and an internship with a company in Germany. e University of Georgia recently became the largest public institution in the nation to require an experiential learning component for all students. Students in the UGA College of Engineering have a wealth of opportunities to connect their work in the classroom with real-world experiences. e college has more than 300 co-op and internship partners, study abroad options around the globe, and unlimited undergraduate research opportunities. Innovation + Discovery Research in the University of Georgia College of Engineering transcends traditional academic boundaries. Centered in three Innovation and Discovery Clusters, the college’s research brings together faculty and students from all areas of engineering as well as scientists in other disciplines on campus. is seamless collaboration between academic disciplines, along with partnerships with industry and govern-

Building Your Future in Engineering

ment, allows UGA Engineering researchers to advance fundamental discovery and spawn innovations that positively impact people’s lives. e college is building an impressive body of research in areas including health care, agriculture, energy, the environment, engineering education. Examples of research underway in the college include a NASA-funded project to ensure a critical component of the space agency’s new engines can withstand the rigors of the next generation of space exploration. UGA Engineering researchers recently demonstrated for the first time that diodes, a fundamental component of electronic devices, can be created from a single molecule of DNA. ey’re also developing new wireless charging systems for electric vehicles, working to re-generate tissue to help people recovering from disease or traumatic injury, and creating new bio-fuels. is spring, the UGA College of Engineering became a partner in a new national public-private consortium designed to revolutionize the fiber and textiles industry through the commercialization of highly functional, advanced fibers and textiles for the defense and commercial markets. In addition, the college is a leading partner in the University of Georgia’s new Georgia Informatics Institute for Research and Education. Informatics is a broad field that encompasses the collection, classification, storage, retrieval, analysis and dissemination of massive data sets. Bulldog Engineering Despite the UGA College of Engineering’s explosive growth, the college maintains and nurtures a close-knit, collaborative environment for students and faculty. Many students describe the college as a small village within the big city of UGA. Students get to know their classmates and professors, allowing them to build relationships that pay oﬀ when graduates begin their careers or pursue post-graduate scholarship and research. No description of the UGA College of Engineering’s strengths would be complete without mentioning its hometown. Consistently rated as one of the best college towns in America, Athens is home to a world-renowned music and arts scene, distinctive local restaurants and shops, a bustling Victorian-era downtown, and plenty of outdoor recreation options. Given its combination of rigorous academics, gamechanging research, experiential learning options, and its setting in one of the nation’s best public universities, it’s easy to see why UGA Engineering is rapidly becoming a popular destination for highly-qualified students. v 59

Vanderbilt University

School of Engineering

Vanderbilt is an internationally recognized, privately supported research university and its hometown of Nashville, Tennessee is ‘Music City U.S.A.’ The university’s students frequently cite Nashville as one of the perks of Vanderbilt, with its 330-acre campus located a little more than a mile from downtown.

This fall, the university’s highly-anticipated, 230,000square-foot Science and Engineering Building and Innovation Center will open. They will increase creative and collaborative experimentation and help accelerate new research discoveries and student-driven concepts and ideas to the marketplace. The building’s cleanroom and advanced imaging facilities, which will help advance discoveries in areas such as nanocomposites, smart materials, advanced energy storage and nano‐bio‐technology, will come online in spring 2017. The new building has five floors that will support a variety of research laboratories and interdisciplinary work. It also features an Undergraduate Commons located next to the research labs will feature student-centered space designed to spark intellectual discussions and studies. The Innovation Center, a three-story, 13,000-squarefoot building adjacent to the Engineering and Science Building, is designed to be a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. The center will offer resources for faculty and students from across the university. It is designed to support a ‘maker’ culture that will enable faculty and students to build interdisciplinary programs that transform educational models through technology and research, as well as offer innovative, effective solutions to pressing health and health care problems. Students participating in the center’s programs will have the opportunity to experience the value of interdisciplinary teamwork and carry this model forward as they become leaders. In a global world where Skyping with a colleague half a world away or reviewing medical test data via email from remote areas of Africa is commonplace, the term ‘neighborhood’ is being redefined and revitalized. At the Van-

derbilt School of Engineering, neighborhood is how we describe our distinctive culture of trans-institutionality, collaboration and cross-pollination both from within and beyond the traditional walls of departments, schools, institutions and disciplines. Vanderbilt Engineering has a long and successful tradition of collaboration with colleagues at other universities and at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the College of Arts and Science, and all the other colleges and schools that make up one of the nation’s top research universities.

August 2016

In developing its own bottom-up strategic plan, the School of Engineering has identified nine “neighborhoods” drawing faculty, staff, students and outside researchers together in the search for solutions: Biomedical Imaging and Biophotonics, Surgery and Engineering, Regenerative Medicine, Rehabilitation Engineering, Nano Science and Technology, Energy and Natural Resources, Risk and Reliability, Big Data Science and Engineering, and Cyber Physical Systems. “These neighborhoods are not closed nor exclusive. It’s actually common for a Vanderbilt engineer’s research to be part of more than one neighborhood. Traditional departments continue to exist, but as we all know, department-centric research and other activity is obsolete in both small and large programs. This model will increase the already strong collaborative nature of the School of Engineering by adding to the nimbleness of how we respond to external pressures and influences,” said Dean Philippe Fauchet. About Vanderbilt Engineering

The School of Engineering offers bachelor of engineering degrees in biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering. A bachelor of science degree is offered in computer science and engineering science. Many engineering students choose double majors, minors or concentrations in complementary disciplines. All engineering students study in state-of-the-art classrooms and labs in Vanderbilt’s multimillion dollar engineering complex—in a student-centered environment. Minors in engineering management, computer science, scientific computing, materials science and engineering, environmental engineering, and energy and environmental systems may be combined with majors, as can minors offered through the College of Arts and Science. The engineering school’s unique first-year program allows students to examine various engineering majors from multiple perspectives before declaring a specific major. Senior Design, a two-semester ‘capstone course’ taken in an undergraduate’s final year, requires multidisciplinary engineering work on real-world, team-based projects. On Senior Design Day, an event held each April at the end of the semester, students share their results with their clients and the Vanderbilt community. In addition to training in engineering science, mathematics, physics and chemistry, students will take liberal arts courses as well as explore the opportunity to round

Building Your Future in Engineering

out their undergraduate academic experience with an honors program or an accelerated degree program through which both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering are earned in five years. Many Vanderbilt students find study abroad to be an integral part of their undergraduate experience. This year, about 20 percent of engineering seniors will have had at least one study abroad experience. All full-time faculty members hold doctorates and teach undergraduate students. All programs leading to the bachelor of engineering degree at Vanderbilt are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, Inc. The school offers the master of engineering (M.Eng.) degree, with emphasis on engineering design and practice, in most areas of study. The Vanderbilt Graduate School, through the School’s departments, offers the research-oriented Ph.D. degree in eight major fields: biomedical, chemical, civil, computer science, electrical, environmental, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering. A particular strength of the school is the depth and breadth of its multidisciplinary capability. Through programs funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and others, the school participates in collaborations with many top-25 universities, national and international laboratories. Vanderbilt engineering graduates are valued for their expertise, intellectual independence, communication skills and leadership ability. Graduates are actively recruited not only for engineering careers but also for careers as diverse as consulting, medicine, law and finance. At Vanderbilt, engineering students learn to be creative thinkers and problem solvers—skills that are valuable throughout life, not only when they are solving engineering problems. v

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING FACTS engineering.vanderbilt.edu For Class of 2020, 7,488 applicants for about 330 slots Undergraduates (Spring 2016) 1430 Graduate Students (Spring 2016) 463 Percent of female undergraduates 32% Tenure/tenure-track faculty: 92 Research expenditures (FY2015): $69.3 million Tuition: admissions.vanderbilt.edu/financial-aid/

Wiregrass Georgia Technical College Industrial Systems Technology Program Coordinator Thomas Moody demonstrates how the hydraulic trainer lab works.

August 2016

Wiregrass Georgia Tech

Communication was certainly the key that sparked opportunity in Fitzgerald, Georgia. Conversation between local industries and the Ben Hill County Schools, Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, and the Fitzgerald-Ben Hill County Development Authority started fostering the idea of providing unique training for specific jobs needed in the community. The conversation lead to Wiregrass Georgia Technical College, where the Certified Manufacturing Specialist program was born. Ben Hill County Schools Careers, Technology, and Agricultural Education (CTAE) Director Dr. Mark Sutton shared, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Certified Manufacturing Specialist Program was beneficial for our students in that it provided an alternative pathway/ program of study and a certificate of credentialing for those students whose plan was to go directly into the workforce upon graduation from high school. This program provided training, career guidance and credentialing that these students would not have received otherwise. Without these things these students would have likely faced numerous challenges when seeking employment.â&#x20AC;? The program was promoted to students at Fitzgerald High School as Move on When Ready (MOWR) program opportunity for students who planned to go directly into the workforce upon high school graduation. The MOWR program allows high school students to take college academic degree level core courses while in high school. Students may choose to enroll fully into a degree, diploma or technical certificate of credit program. Fitzgerald High School students were hand selected for this opportunity at the local technical college. Through this partnership with the college, school system, and local industries, students were guaranteed an interview upon completion. Every student that completed the program was interviewed and hired by local industry in Ben Hill County. In response to the need, Wiregrass created the new Certified Manufacturing Specialist program which began

Building Your Future in Engineering

in the Fall of 2016 at Fitzgerald High School. The students learned organization principles, workplace skills, manufacturing production, automated manufacturing skills, and representative manufacturing skills. The course taught students soft skills and how to work in a manufacturing environment using the team technique. They learned how to function as a team member that would best benefit the company and yield the best production. After classroom work, the students, visited the college campus and were able to see how a hydro, mechanic, electric and computer control labs work. Students walked away from this class not only with a college certificate of credit while in high school, but with soft skills learned that would provide them an edge over other job applicants for positions. Upon completion the students, had completed 11 hours of course credit to earn their certificate. Three of the seniors who completed the program were interviewed and hired by local industry in Ben Hill County. The industries are Southern Veneer, Modern Disbursing (MDI), Elixir, and Golden Boy/Post Holdings. At the end of the day, the high school seniors walked away with college credit before graduating from high school, Fitzgerald High School had students complete a college credit program, Wiregrass was able to help train local seniors while helping local industries, and the local industries? They got what they asked for, a qualified worker. For more information about this program and other programs offered at Wiregrass Georgia Technical College visitwiregrass.edu. v