Expanding with the Times: Colleges and Universities Evolve to Meet Engineering Needs

Expanding with the Times

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES EVOLVE TO MEET ENGINEERING NEEDS

BY SUSAN THWING

Once upon a time an engineering degree brought to mind automobiles, manufacturing processes, or a mechanical system.

But today, the reach of engineering extends to six major branches of engineering: mechanical, chemical, civil, electrical, management, and geotechnical, and literally hundreds of different subcategories of engineering under each branch. From aerospace to environmental to cybersecurity and marine, there is an engineering aspect to all areas of our lives.

The concept of engineering goes back thousands of years dating back to Imhotep, the first engineer known by name and achievement, as the builder of the Step Pyramid at Saqqarah, Egypt, estimated at about 2550 BCE.

Engineering degrees also have a long history with three main schools as the first to offer engineering education in 1817—the U.S. Military Academy (New York) 1819, Norwich University (Vermont) 1825 and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (New York). Rensselaer awarded the first degree in Civil Engineering in 1835, although at the time it was only a one-year technical finishing program.

From those first awarded degrees, the evolution of the industry is forever changing. So it is no surprise that Michigan universities and colleges are continually adding to their engineering degree offerings via new programs, departments and collaborations. Here’s a wrap up of just some of the new programs across the state:

BIO IS BIG!

The employment of bioengineers and biomedical engineers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor. Increasing numbers of technologies and applications to medical equipment and devices, along with the medical needs of a growing and aging population, will require the services of these workers.

Higher education is taking this to heart. Oakland University recently elevated its bioengineering program to a department, with the first class of students graduating in 2020. The move was intended to strengthen the university’s academic profile and help students succeed in a rapidly evolving job market. The department is the first in the university’s history to be under the shared governance of core academic units, the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Department leaders are preparing to seek accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, for the program, with the first site visit this fall.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DATA

An unprecedented surge in the speed and power of computers allows the analysis of complex data sets to develop new vaccines, to analyze financial risk, to create efficient supply chains, or teach cars to drive themselves.

With data science graduates in high demand—according to a report by the Business Higher Education Forum, 69 percent of employers expect candidates with data science skills to get preference for jobs in their organizations—a new degree at Lawrence Technological University (LTU) will train students to analyze data to do all of those things—and more.

The new LTU Bachelor of Science in Data Science degree combines mathematics, physics, statistics, computer science, and data analysis. Managed by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science in the LTU College of Arts and Sciences, it is highly interdisciplinary in nature—and may include coursework and research with faculty in other areas on campus, such as the LTU College of Engineering, the LTU College of Business and Information Technology, and the Marburger STEM Center.

The degree focuses on theory and practice in big data, data mining, machine learning, bioinformatics, mathematical modeling, and artificial intelligence, with students learning to study complex data sets and understand the patterns that each set can reveal.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

This fall, LTU also launched an interdisciplinary Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence due to the explosive growth in the use of artificial intelligence technologies in a wide variety of industries, such as automotive, healthcare, retail, finance, science and manufacturing.

AI and big data are now being successfully used in the battle against the pandemic by providing solutions to tracking, predicting, contact tracing, early diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

The new program will be a joint effort between the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in LTU’s College of Engineering, and the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science in the LTU’s College of Arts and Sciences.

The program leverages new and reengineered laboratories in LTU’s Taubman Engineering, Life Sciences, and Architecture complex. The Industry 4.0 Connected Enterprise Facility includes the use of the Robotics Engineering Automation Lab and the Electrical and Computer Engineering for Embedded Systems and Artificial Intelligence Lab, both in the Taubman complex.

WELDING IT TOGETHER

Wayne State University recently launched a bachelor of science program in Welding and Metallurgical Engineering Technology. Over half of all man-made products in the U.S. require the work of welders but, according to the American Welding Society, there will be a shortage of up to 450,000 welding professionals by 2022.

As infrastructure ages, new materials emerge and an emphasis on quality in advanced manufacturing increases, developing an influx of skilled workers in this field will be crucial.

The B.S. in welding and metallurgical engineering technology program is an upper two-year curriculum for students who have completed their first two years in a welding or comparable program elsewhere. Students take courses on such topics as thermodynamics, design, automation and robotics, and structural analysis. These courses are taught by faculty in the Division of Engineering Technology as well as adjunct lecturers from industry partners including General Motors and Tenneco.

ENGINEERING CHEMICALS, AND GOING NATURAL

Kettering University has launched two new academic departments, the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Natural Sciences.

The Department of Chemical Engineering will be part of the College of Engineering. The Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering program has been one of the fastestgrowing degree programs at the University since its initial offering in 2008. This new department is led by co-interim department heads Mary Gilliam, an associate professor of chemical engineering at Kettering who co-developed the new curriculum as one of the first faculty members in the chemical engineering program, and Jonathan Wenzel, an associate professor of chemical engineering who established a research and consulting program in supercritical fluid technology at Kettering.

The Department of Natural Sciences will encompass the former departments of chemistry and biochemistry, as

well as physics. It also will house all of the programs previously housed in those former departments. Daniel Ludwigsen will serve as interim department heads.

GOING GLOBAL VIA PARTNERSHIPS

Eastern Michigan University (EMU) and Beibu Gulf University (BGU) in China finalized a cooperative 15-year partnership that begins with up to 300 students being enrolled in the new program annually for the first four years. Overall enrollment will eventually include up to 1,200 students.

Upon successful completion, a student will receive degrees from both BGU and EMU. The Beibu Gulf campus is located in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China. Majors that will be offered at Beibu Gulf by the EMU College of Engineering and Technology include: % Mechanical Engineering Technology % Computer Engineering Technology % Product Design Engineering Technology % Construction Management.

Students at Beibu Gulf pursuing these majors at EMU will be simultaneously pursuing majors at BGU in: % Mechanical Engineering % Vehicle Engineering % Mechanical Design and Manufacturing and Automation % Construction Project Costs % Internet of Things Engineering

EMU professors will have the opportunity to teach classes on a limited basis at the institution in each of a student’s four years of study, but will primarily concentrate their teaching in a student’s fourth year as students at the cooperative institution become more advanced. Students in the program also can pursue their fourth year of studies at the EMU campus in Ypsilanti.

ENHANCING ACCESS

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) is a key partner in a pilot program to expand Advanced Placement computer science opportunities for high school students in Michigan, one of five states selected for the launch.

The $15 million investment by Code.org to launch a program in selected states expands AP computer science offerings to more students, with an emphasis on equitable access. This program builds on work already done through a partnership among GVSU, Code.org, the state’s MiSTEM network—designed to strengthen STEM education—and the College Board.

GVSU leads coordination of K-12 computer science education in the state, while Code.org is a nonprofit computer science organization that provides curriculum and training resources.

A critical component of the mission is ensuring equity in access to computer science education, so the curriculum will intentionally take into account the unique cultural perspectives, interests and experiences of Black, Latino, Native American and other underrepresented students. The program organizers hope to impact the larger systems by having a more diverse population attending post-secondary institutions and ultimately entering the technical workforce.