Engineering curricula are known to be challenging because they require high-level technical knowledge, critical thinking, and creative problem solving skills. The curricula are characterized as having long pre-requisite chains because high-level material requires understanding of core engineering knowledge, which in turn rests on a wide spectrum of math and science courses. In mechanical engineering, one of the critical pre-requisite chains involves the so called “mechanics sequence,” which runs from Physics to Statics and then to Mechanics and Dynamics. This paper examines how performance in these key classes affects students’ persistence in engineering, as measured by GPA at graduation and time-to-graduate. It is found that Statics has the largest impact on the academic success of struggling mechanical engineering students. While some students can overcome poor grades in Physics, struggles in Physics often foretell continued problems throughout the mechanical engineering curriculum.
Dr. Kathryn Wingate started as an Academic Professional in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering in the summer of 2014. She received a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a BS in Astronomy from the University of Illinois in 2005. After graduation she went to work for Northrop Grumman Space Technology in Redondo Beach, California. In her time at Northrop Grumman Kathryn served as a material scientist specializing in the failure analysis of microelectronics on several defense satellite programs. In 2009 she left industry to pursue a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Colorado, where her research focused on the development of novel biomaterials for cardiovascular tissue engineering. At the GWW School of Mechanical Engineering, Kathryn teaches the junior level Machine Design and senior level Capstone Design courses, as well as advises the BSMS students.
Al Ferri received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Lehigh University in 1981 and his PhD degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University in 1985. Since 1985, he has been a faculty member in the School of Mechanical En
Karen M. Feigh is an associate professor in the School of Aerospace Engineering at the Georgia
Institute of Technology. Her research interests include cognitive engineering, design of decision
support systems, human-automation interaction, and behavioral modeling. She teaches courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level on topics including flight dynamics, cognitive engineering, and human-automation interaction.
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