I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach some engineering courses as a postdoc, and found those experiences to be very rewarding. When a later opportunity to teach full-time presented itself, I was hesitant to apply, worried that it would mean giving up a career as a researcher. However, I did apply and got the job and have never been happier in my profession.
Rewards of persisting
When a student comes to me wondering if all of the hard work is worth it, I remind them of the extreme versatility of an engineering degree. I tell them about the world of opportunities that an engineering degree unlocks. I tell them about friends and colleagues and the joys that engineering has brought to them. And I tell them about my own struggles as a student and how glad I am that I persisted.
I try to encourage them to start working on assignments early; think about a problem and plan out a strategy for solving it before getting started on the actual solution process; be punctual and do not waste time; and never stop learning new skills and knowledge.
Preparing students for employment
Our department has a great "Visiting Committee" of industry partners who come to campus periodically and advise us in this area. I am also in charge of our department's Master's program and am working with employers to make sure our MSE students are receiving the appropriate educational experiences.
ASEE benefits
I am relatively new to ASEE, but so far I have learned much from attending its conferences and reading its various publications. I am looking forward to attending the Zone 1 conference in April and meeting fellow engineering educators from this region of the country. Being a member of a community dedicated to improving the quality of my profession is great.
I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to teach some engineering courses as a postdoc, and found those experiences to be very rewarding. When a later opportunity to teach full-time presented itself, I was hesitant to apply, worried that it would mean giving up a career as a researcher. However, I did apply and got the job and have never been happier in my profession.
Rewards of persisting
When a student comes to me wondering if all of the hard work is worth it, I remind them of the extreme versatility of an engineering degree. I tell them about the world of opportunities that an engineering degree unlocks. I tell them about friends and colleagues and the joys that engineering has brought to them. And I tell them about my own struggles as a student and how glad I am that I persisted.
I try to encourage them to start working on assignments early; think about a problem and plan out a strategy for solving it before getting started on the actual solution process; be punctual and do not waste time; and never stop learning new skills and knowledge.
Preparing students for employment
Our department has a great "Visiting Committee" of industry partners who come to campus periodically and advise us in this area. I am also in charge of our department's Master's program and am working with employers to make sure our MSE students are receiving the appropriate educational experiences.
ASEE benefits
I am relatively new to ASEE, but so far I have learned much from attending its conferences and reading its various publications. I am looking forward to attending the Zone 1 conference in April and meeting fellow engineering educators from this region of the country. Being a member of a community dedicated to improving the quality of my profession is great.
