Inspire, Fall 1997

A News Publication for Cedarville College Alumni 11S 1 e Designing Solutions To The World's Problems p ollution, genetic engineering,space exploration, the environment.Sound like the front page of today's newspaper? These are just a few ofthe issues our world faces.Though seemingly unrelated, all ofthese problems will likely be addressed by engineers. Cedarville College recognizes that ifengineers are to design solutions to the world's problems,they need more than mere technical skill, they must also have character.Chuck Allport, associate professor ofengineering,states,"As Christians, we want Christians,people with our values and our moral basis,in the middle ofthese decisions." Academic Vice President Dr.Duane Wood states,"We felt there was a national need for a school with a foundation in chapel and Christian ministries to train Christian engineers." Cedarville College welcomed its first class ofengineering students in 1990. The Elmer W.Engstrom Department ofEngineering, named in honor ofthe former president and CEO ofRCA,offers accredited programs leading to the Bachelor ofScience in Mechanical Engineering and Bachelor ofScience in Electrical Engineering degrees. Cedarville's balanced engineering curriculum combines a solid foundation in the liberal arts,integration of biblical truth, and broad-based engineering coursework,resulting in an education that is unique.Professor Allport makes this distinction,"Our students do very well when stacked up against people that arejust engineers,because our students are more than engineers." Engineering is a dynamic field. The average "half-life" ofan engineer in most industries is three to five years. That is,ifthey do not continue learning,in three to five years they know only halfof what an engineer coming out ofcollege would know.For one aerospace company,the half-life is down to six months."So the emphasis at Cedarville College is to teach students the fundamentals—how to think and how to solve problems,"says Engineering Department Chair Dr.Lawrence Zavodney."We produce lifelong learners who are effective in the workplace." Over halfofthe engineering students at Cedarville participate on design teams."A lot ofthings in engineering are best learned by doing," states Dr.Zavodney. Professors agree that applied engineering reinforces what is taught in the classroom. "There is no question that the exceptional faculty the Lord sent us has made Cedarville's one ofthe top engineering programs in the country,"says President Dixon.Not only do our faculty have the appropriate training(eight out of twelve hold doctoral degrees), but they bring years of professional industry experience to the classroom as well. Since all classes and labs are taught by faculty,students benefitfrom one-on-one time that is not characteristic of larger institutions. Modern equipment in the Engineering/Nursing/Science Center and the campuswide computer network, CedarNet,comprise the technological foundation for the program. Prospective students, parents,graduate schools,and employers recognize the value of Cedarville's approach."When recruiters come to campus,they see that students coming out of Cedarville College are students ofhigh character,students whom they could trust," states Dr.Zavodney."And that is what makes the biggest impression."