-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueProduction Software Integration
EMS companies need advanced software systems to thrive and compete. But these systems require significant effort to integrate and deploy. What is the reality, and how can we make it easier for everyone?
Spotlight on India
We invite you on a virtual tour of India’s thriving ecosystem, guided by the Global Electronics Association’s India office staff, who share their insights into the region’s growth and opportunities.
Supply Chain Strategies
A successful brand is built on strong customer relationships—anchored by a well-orchestrated supply chain at its core. This month, we look at how managing your supply chain directly influences customer perception.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
A Unique Engineering Space in Mankato
November 9, 2023 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 1 minute

Rob Sleezer is associate professor of integrated engineering at Minnesota State University, and lead for Twin Cities Engineering (TCE), a two-year engineering professional school with a non-traditional approach to the curriculum. That new approach just might turn out more industry-savvy graduates than traditional programs.
Nolan Johnson: Rob, introduce us to Twin Cities Engineering. What do you do there?
Rob Sleezer: TCE is an extended campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato. We are a project-based program which exists in a space at a partner school. That means that we are not only one of the best engineering programs in the state, we are also the least expensive, which is really cool.
What “project-based” engineering means to us is our engineers do their pre-engineering at some other place (anywhere). Some of them might even do it in Mankato. Regardless, they transfer to us because they're moving from that space into our extended campus space. We’ve specifically partnered with Normandale Community College and St. Paul College, where we have lab spaces. When a student engineer joins us as a first semester junior (J1), the first thing we do is put them on the equivalent of a capstone project. We then work to contextualize their design professional and technical learning to that project as best we can.
Johnson: That makes sense to integrate their experiences.
Sleezer: In fact, we are the Department of Integrated Engineering. We integrate across multiple domains and disciplines, in terms of integration of concepts across the business side of things. These are all really important to us. Additionally, what's really cool is that because I have teams that consist of both senior graduating engineers and first semester engineers, there's some mentorship. I have a corporate culture. In my program, admittedly, every year half of my “employees” quit by graduating.
As we discussed earlier, much of this is being addressed in this context. Maybe not perfectly, meaning we're constantly looking to improve, but we do things that make our student engineers question where they're going, what they're doing in terms of the design, and how the math and physics they're learning play into designing things to improve the world and improve the human condition.
To continue reading this interview, which appeared in the November 2023 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
Testimonial
"We’re proud to call I-Connect007 a trusted partner. Their innovative approach and industry insight made our podcast collaboration a success by connecting us with the right audience and delivering real results."
Julia McCaffrey - NCAB GroupSuggested Items
New Fil Arzola Class: Designing for the Future, and for Sustainability
10/07/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007If you have not yet taken a class from Fil Arzola, you are missing out. In late October, Fil will be teaching the class "Building Sustainable Model-Based PCBs," speaking from the design perspective. I had the pleasure of catching this course at last year's IPC APEX EXPO, and I walked away with a lot to think about. I asked Fil to discuss his upcoming course. Registration is open now.
Happy’s Tech Talk #43: Engineering Statistics Training With Free Software
10/06/2025 | Happy Holden -- Column: Happy’s Tech TalkIn over 50 years as a PCB process engineer, the one skill I acquired in college that has been most beneficial is engineering statistics. Basic statistics was part of my engineering fundamentals classes, but I petitioned the dean to let me take the engineering statistics graduate course because I was creating a senior thesis for my honors focus and needed more training on Design of Experiments (DOE).
Looking to Reduce Your Consumables Spend? Visit ROCKA Solutions at SMTA International
09/29/2025 | ROCKA SolutionsROCKA Solutions, a trusted North American manufacturer and distributor of high-quality consumables for the electronics manufacturing industry, is pleased to announce its participation at SMTA International 2025, taking place October 19–23, 2025, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. Attendees can connect with the ROCKA team at Booth #2413.
Indium Experts to Present on Thermal Interface Materials at IMAPS Microelectronics Symposium
09/24/2025 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation experts will deliver technical presentations on thermal interface materials (TIMs) at the International Symposium on Microelectronics, organized by the International Microelectronics Assembly and Packaging Society (IMAPS), to be held from September 29 to October 2 in San Diego, California.
Fresh PCB Concepts: Investing in Tomorrow's PCB Experts Today
09/24/2025 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsPeople often describe the PCB industry as one of the most critical yet invisible foundations of modern electronics. Every project needs a PCB, but few college programs or engineering curricula cover the complexity of board design, stackups, or manufacturability. That means the responsibility for developing the next generation of PCB experts falls on the industry itself.