Photo by Dan Grogan.

Dean James H. Aylor

One of the things I most enjoy about being dean is the opportunity it gives me to meet with alumni from around the country. I’ve been very impressed by the many different paths they’ve taken since graduating from the Engineering School.

As you might expect, I’ve met many engineers, but I’ve also encountered venture capitalists, high school math teachers, members of the military, attorneys, executives of large corporations and physicians. But whatever their profession, they have told me that the things they learned here — the ability to frame a problem, the quantitative tools needed to solve it, the ability to work together with others — have been critical to their success. At the same time, their experiences highlight the different motivations that people bring to the Engineering School. Some students know from the start that they want to be engineers. Others come here because they see engineering as an ideal foundation for another career path. Still others are keeping their options open; they aren’t yet sure what they want to do when they graduate.

At the Engineering School, we recognize these diverse motivations, and we’ve responded by broadening the range of experiences that are available to our students. We’ve instituted programs such as our Science and Technology Policy Internship, which gives students a taste of how engineers can influence the policy debates about critical national issues. We support our chapter of Engineers Without Borders, which has motivated students to take on public service projects in Central America and South Africa. And, most notably, we have created an engineering business minor in partnership with the McIntire School of Commerce.

The 18-credit program includes three required courses — Making Business Work; Principles of Economics: Microeconomics; and Technology and Product Development Life Cycle — and three electives chosen among courses in economics, accounting, commercial law, finance, marketing, strategic management, business ethics and entrepreneurship. The minor, now in its second year, has been embraced by our students. Between 10 percent and 15 percent are currently enrolled in it, and the McIntire School has created additional sections to accommodate them. In fact, it’s been so successful that we are considering expanding the program to include entrepreneurship and developing a parallel program in law.

Everyone benefits from programs such as these. They offer students a chance to explore alternatives, and they provide a head start for students entering other professions. Equally important, these options give students who intend to become engineers the broad perspectives they need to practice effectively.

I welcome your thoughts on these initiatives designed to broaden the student experience. Our goal is to give students the ability to use their engineering education to serve society in the way that suits them best.

JAMES H. AYLOR
Louis T. Rader Professor
Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science