Partnerships, program overhauls mean easier paths to degree

Area colleges training more engineers

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By Christopher Magan, Staff Writer Updated 1:22 AM Wednesday, September 1, 2010

DAYTON — Partnerships between local colleges and universities have provided area students with more opportunities to seek degrees in engineering and technology at a time when demand is growing.

Sinclair Community College offers an engineering degree transfer program that covers a students first two years and can transfer to anywhere in the state. It also has partnerships with University of Dayton to dual enroll students preparing for the engineering school, said Sunrinder Jain, interim associate dean for science, math and engineering.

“We have been very successful producing students into the UD engineering program,” Jain said. Many others go on to Wright State, according to Jain.

Once students transfer, the focus is on developing innovative and entrepreneurial skills, said Tony Saliba, dean of UD’s engineering school. The goal is to develop students ready to “solve the problems of tomorrow.”

“Innovation is the engine that drives economic growth,” Saliba said. “The future of this country depends on can we continue to be innovative? That is what we do, prepare problem-solvers.”

The curriculum is flexible, Saliba said, and includes hands-on work on “real-world problems” through an innovation center and collaboration with businesses and other university initiatives.

“We need to develop the next generation of engineers and scientists that can compete on an international level,” Saliba said.

At Wright State University, Nathan Klingbeil, college of engineering and computer science associate dean of academic affairs, is working to improve the retention of engineering students by improving the school’s curriculum.

The school has a $4 million grant from the National Science Foundation and programs inspired by WSU are being piloted at 17 schools nationwide. Changes include a new applied mathematics course that helps students learn how certain concepts will be used in their careers.

“It’s been very successful,” Klingbeil said, who added that retention rates are climbing to the highest in a decade.

Contact this reporter at  (937) 225-2342 or cmagan @DaytonDailyNews.com.

Numbers are up

Undergraduate enrollment at University of Dayton and Wright State University colleges of engineering: