-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueComing to Terms With AI
In this issue, we examine the profound effect artificial intelligence and machine learning are having on manufacturing and business processes. We follow technology, innovation, and money as automation becomes the new key indicator of growth in our industry.
Box Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
- Articles
Article Highlights
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| 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.
Suggested Items
All Flex Solutions Hires Mike Madetzke as Manager of R&D
05/08/2024 | All Flex SolutionsAll Flex Solutions is very pleased to announce that Mike Madetzke has joined their team as their new Manager of Research and Development.
Coherix Partners with EMU on 'Factory of the Future' Technology Program
05/08/2024 | PRNewswireMichigan-based Coherix is working with Eastern Michigan University (EMU) in Ypsilanti to develop "factory-of-the-future" manufacturing and assembly technology.
Indium Corporation Expert to Present on Pb-Free Solder for Die-Attach in Discrete Power Applications
04/30/2024 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation Product Manager – Semiconductor Dean Payne will present at the Advanced Packaging for Power Electronics conference, hosted by IMAPS, held May 8-9 in Woburn, Massachusetts, USA.
Boeing Opens Research & Technology Center in Japan
04/23/2024 | BoeingBoeing today opened a Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T) Center in Japan that will focus on innovation to enable the commercial aviation industry meet its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Ansys Joins BAE Systems’ Mission Advantage Program to Advance Digital Engineering Across US Department of Defense
04/16/2024 | ANSYSAnsys announced it is working with BAE Systems, Inc., to accelerate the adoption of digital engineering and MBSE across the Department of Defense (DoD).