This event was scheduled during one of the senior courses, Civil Engineering Practice, which is mandatory for all senior civil engineering students at Rowan University. It aimed to allow students to engage with industry folks. Companies from different local industries were invited, such as American Water, Langan Engineering and Environmental Services Inc., J Fletcher Creamer & Sons Inc., NJEDA, Envision Consultants Ltd., Sevenson Environmental Services Inc., and AECOM. 

 


The event was a tremendous success as all the fourth-year students attended it. The industry members presented their areas of expertise and the projects in which they are currently involved. The students were asked to dress professionally and bring printed copies of their resumes. The students were divided into small groups and were rotated among the companies by the graduate students. Some of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department faculty attended this event. Based on the feedback received from the companies and the students, this event was well-received by both groups. However, some of the students felt that they needed to be prepared better by the faculty to attend this event. The emails from the alumni who attended with their companies and the students who participated in the event showed a lot of positivity and enthusiasm. Students were excited to meet and interact with the companies. 

Rowan CEE Industry Day Video.mov

Seven companies attended this event during its first year in 2022, and 22 companies during its second year in 2023. Due to its success, we expanded it to junior and senior engineering students by changing the time of the event to the Junior and Senior clinic periods. Faculty were asked to allow the students to attend this event instead of working on their clinic projects this week. During March 2024, a total of 17 companies participated in the “Industry Day”.  

Team Members: Nao Tsumagari (Trane), John Lauper (John Deere), Charley Hopp (Pierce Manufacturing), Kevin Clayton (Dassault Systems), Jimmy Collins, John Fick (UWP), Jodi Prosise (UWP) 

 

The group organized a Scrap Challenge. The intent was to have students utilize scrap materials donated from a company (the first was Pierce Manufacturing) to design and manufacture something, competing against other teams. This would allow the students to interact with the company, learn about the company, and do something fun and hands- on at the same time. 

 

The first challenge was held 11/5/22. Only two students participated but did complete the challenge. They built a vehicle from the scrap. They had difficulty with the motors provided being strong enough to propel the heavy materials they made the body from. 

 

The timing of the challenge will need to change and increased promotion to attract more participation. 


Team Members: Gary Kassen (CNH Industrial), Andrew Grevstad (Tormach), Bridget Berger (John Deere), David Everett (Spectrum Brands), Kyle Nethery (All Steel Office), Douglas Meyer (John Deere - Retired), Jessica Fick (UWP) 

 

This team recognized a need for students to have better understanding of the needs and expectations of prospective industry employers. They proposed to create a conference or seminar series to leverage industry experience to help faculty and students understand the primary motivations in hiring employees based on educational attainment and professional achievements. The objectives are to foster student growth and development through exposure to industry practices through live, in-person seminars focused on mechanical engineering and industrial engineering (MEIE) students. 

 

The proposed seminar series intended to enhance the social presence and visibility of industries on campus and provide a forum for students, faculty, and industry representatives to discuss career opportunities and common employer expectations. Topics proposed to supplement course curriculum taken by MEIE majors including vehicle design, modeling analysis, manufacturing techniques, automation, electrification, professional skills, and hydraulic systems. The first seminar was given by representatives from CNH Industrial on Wednesday 9/14/2022 in Sesquicentennial Hall. Unfortunately, the seminar was not well-attended, and the team decided to discontinue the series. 

 


Team Members: Craig Dreikosen (Sauk Prairie Healthcare), James Feldhacker (Klauer Inc.), Vettrivel Gnaneswaran (UWP), Josh Isely (Power Engineers), David Luber (Eagle Windows), Stacia Stephenson (UWP), Heidi Rhinehart (UWP), and Thomas Zolper (UWP) 

 

UW-Platteville has a reputation for graduating students who are exceptionally well prepared for careers in industry. To maintain this performance and align with current employer expectations, updates and refinements to course curriculum are necessary. One way to improve the curriculum and educational objectives of the mechanical and industrial engineering programs is to solicit feedback from alumni of the program. As such, the team developed a “Professional Preparedness Survey” to assess a variety of skillsets commonly expected of engineering professionals. 

 

The survey was composed to determine quality of student preparedness in a variety of areas including analytical skills, communication, leadership, problem-solving and strategic thinking. The survey was written in a general form to remain applicable to the broad array of employers of alumni. Initially, the survey directed toward managers and supervisors of recent graduates, but team members had concerns about data quality and response rates. 

 

After deliberation, the team concluded that the survey should be directed toward alumni themselves, to understand the perceived strengths and deficiencies of the program and to maximize the response rate. 

 

The “Professional Preparedness Survey” underwent revisions to attain its final form. The survey asked recipients to focus on how their courses prepared them for success in their first few years as an employee. In October 2022, the final survey questions were transferred to Qualtrics, and a hyperlink generated. Afterwards, the survey was sent to alumni of the mechanical and industrial engineering programs. A summary of the results and recommendations was prepared for presentation to the advisory board in spring 2023.