By: Jake Meikel
It all starts with an idea. Then that idea invoked a plan. In due time, what started out as a concept becomes a brand new piece of technological innovation.
The department of engineering technology is very hands on when it comes to learning. Direct collaboration between students and instructors is why students are just as prepared for their career fields as any other majors at Western according to assistant professor Wes Moore.
“We do have a really good career path,” Moore said. “They’ve got a lot of opportunities to choose from.”
Companies such as Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. Altec Industries, Inc. and Herzog Contracting Corporation offer internships to students and often offered full-time careers once they receive their degrees.
The most difficult challenge that students will face during their tenure is an ever-changing curriculum because technology frequently changes.
“Because technology does change pretty fast, there are certain basic skills that I want students to learn,” Moore said. “Then they’re going to have to keep up with technological changes all throughout their careers.”
Adapting to regular changes in the field have professors on their toes; they are prepared for the best and the worst.
With some of the best equipment one can buy, students are given the best of tools to keep up with the evolution. What is considered “state-of-the-art” equipment is at the disposal for all students in order to troubleshoot and have the best hands-on experience possible.
The most significant aspect of being a part of the program is the recognition students are able to receive for their outstanding work.
Societies such as The American Society of Civil Engineers and The Society of Manufacturing Engineers are welcoming of these students’ groundbreaking work. Students at Western have been recognized nationally by external technical societies through undergraduate awards.
Piecing together how they do it and why they do it isn’t so simple. Their work is complex for the average human being, but the relationships built between student and faculty is as simplistic as it gets. It is being an applied learner that is the core value of being a student at Western.