Cedarville Magazine, Summer 2018

PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’” Surely Abraham Kuyper, to whom these words belong, would agree that this includes the field of engineering. Of the more than 150 academic programs we offer at Cedarville University, our School of Engineering and Computer Science, ever since its beginning in 1990, has seen great success, with students coming to prepare for careers in computer science and computer, electrical, or mechanical engineering. And now, for the first time this fall, we’ll have students joining us to study civil engineering. But why study engineering at a Christian university? Isn’t math, math, after all? What Cedarville offers that is distinctive from other schools is a fundamentally different understanding of an occupation’s purpose — not to mention the purpose of life. We are thankful for our world-class engineering faculty, our recently renovated facilities, and the many academic accolades our programs receive from competition victories. Without question, our engineering students are well-prepared for the jobs ahead of them, which is why companies like Cummins, Rolls- Royce, Boeing, Honda, NASA, Microsoft, General Dynamics Electric Boat, Lockheed Martin, General Electric, Procter & Gamble, Northrop Grumman, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Air Force Research Laboratory, and SeaLandAire Technologies, Inc. (see page 16), among many others, regularly seek out our graduates. Yet, what makes our graduates even more sought after is their education grounded in a biblical worldview, which teaches them that their occupation’s aim is not merely to make money nor to make a name for themselves. Rather, their future jobs serve as a means to be obedient to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. From their liberal arts core, through their required Bible minor, up through their major engineering courses, our students are reminded, time and time again, that in all we do, we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. But not only are our future engineers shaped to love God and neighbor, they are also trained to view their vocations as a platform to go and make disciples of all nations, sharing the Gospel with every tribe and every tongue. That’s precisely why we’re so excited to be launching civil engineering this fall, as it serves as a strategic pathway to get the Gospel to the hard places, where the name of Jesus hasn’t been heard. So as you read the pages of this magazine, you’ll hear the heart of our faculty regarding the excellence of our academic programs and their love and care for their students. You’ll hear from our alumni and how they’re putting their Cedarville education to work. But most of all, I hope you hear Kuyper’s echo, that there isn’t one aspect of Cedarville’s engineering curriculum over which the reigning Lord Christ doesn’t cry, “Mine!” In Christ, Thomas White, President cedarville.edu/president @DrThomasWhite facebook.com/DrThomasWhite instagram.com/drthomaswhite/ linkedin.com/in/jthomaswhite Subscribe at drthomaswhite.com 2 | Cedarville Magazine Cedarville Magazine