Inspire, Fall 2007

8 Fall 2007 Feature : Three Decades But an even greater incentive was the opportunity to provide a biblical foundation: preparing young engineers not only for a profession, but also for a life of ministry. “There’s no question that during my 25 years as president of Cedarville, the establishment of the bachelor of science in engineering program had a dramatic impact on the University,” recounts former Cedarville president Dr. Paul Dixon. “That program, along with the campus computer network, took Cedarville to a whole new level. We carved out a niche in Christian higher education that brought significant recognition from the evangelical community.” Hiring the right faculty was one of the most critical decisions the team had to make, according to Dr. Larry Zavodney, founding chair of the department. Since engineering began as a small program, the University needed professors flexible enough to teach a variety of classes, yet also able to specialize in upper-level courses and electives. “We sought faculty who were academic scholars, had industrial experience, saw the position as an opportunity to minister, and loved the students,” explains Dr. Zavodney. Next, the program innovators asked what would convince students to choose Cedarville. For Dr. Zavodney and Chuck Allport, who also played a significant role in the development of the program, the answer was simple: to receive accreditation from ABET, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. “Since Cedarville is a Christian school, and it was not then known to be a technical school,” Dr. Zavodney says, “I knew we had to establish credibility in the minds of “the technical community, the parents who were paying for their children’s education, and the students who were choosing between Cedarville and well- known engineering schools.” “With that in mind, they sought and received ABET accreditation as soon as they were eligible (after the first class graduated in 1994). Because Cedarville has always been a science-oriented institution, no effort was spared in providing the facilities and high-caliber faculty needed to make the program a success. Beyond the spiritual seeds they aspired to plant in young minds, the faculty developed a program that emphasized, in addition to the solid theoretical foundation found in any ABET-accredited program, a kinesthetic mode of learning: one that thrives on extensive laboratory experience and projects. They also focused on team building — from freshmen participating in cardboard canoe races to seniors completing award-winning capstone design projects, along with many collegiate engineering competitions. Traditionally, Christian liberal arts schools like Cedarville were not expected to have significant engineering programs, so it was necessary to quickly establish the school’s name and reputation throughout the professional engineering community. This was one reason that, from the very beginning, significant involvement in national competitions was a major part of the program. “They raised awareness among the technological community that we are a player,” Dr. Zavodney points out. In addition, the contests increased students’ confidence and “provided an outlet to use technical skills in a social context.” Cedarville’s engineering students jumped in with fearless enthusiasm, participating in competitions it seemed they had no business entering. Along with many other early successes, they placed second in design at the 1994 Hybrid Electric Vehicle Challenge in Detroit and by 1995 became the only school in the country to place twice at the annual Padnos Environmental Design Competition. Their success, explains Allport, became something of a joke. “When we first went, no one had heard of us. They’d say, ‘And the winner is … a place called Cedarville.’ But very soon they knew and respected us.” That respect grew. An article in Car and Driver magazine featured the department’s performance in a Department of Energy competition in 2000. In addition, Cedarville engineers are three-time winners of Solar Splash, a world championship of intercollegiate solar boating held in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Cedarville has won the West Coast Aerodesign weight-lifting competition and has broken the East Coast weight-lifting record; they have triumphed in many robot competitions; and Cedarville recently placed second in the Supermileage competition, constructing a car with fuel mileage of 1,240 mpg. These events helped establish the school’s reputation and opened doors for Cedarville’s engineering students to not only be accepted into top graduate programs nationwide, but to enter the workforce at major organizations, from car manufacturers to NASA to Procter & Gamble. Now, with almost 20 years of success, the engineering department promises to continue pursuing innovative excellence and graduating highly competent, creative, godly contributors to society. “We want to have professional programs that allow students to be a witness for Christ, but we also want to find those professions that will let them have an impact on society.”