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Speaking to Students

The College of Engineering now offers a seminar for first-year engineering students. We believe ENGIN 197A provides an excellent opportunity for motivating students about engineering as a field of study and a future career. It is not uncommon to see first-year students be overwhelmed with academic requirements and either miss the “big picture” or begin to lose interest in the field. Our goal is to create excitement about pursuing an engineering education by showing how it can be effectively applied in industry and business.

First-year students from every engineering discipline attend the seminar. Many have limited familiarity with their chosen engineering majors. Guest speakers, usually College of Engineering alumni, typically plan a 30-minute presentation with an additional 15 minutes for questions. The presentation includes the speaker’s personal background, work experience, and typical work responsibilities. It also deals with the skills students should develop to prepare them for an engineering career.

If you are interested in making a presentation to the students in this seminar or in a variety of other speaking opportunities, please contact the College of Engineering Development Office at (413) 545-0282.

ENGIN 197A: Innovation Engineering Seminar

This course is designed for incoming first-year and transfer engineering students and is open to all undergraduate majors. Students will be introduced to the different engineering disciplines to help them select the best-suited engineering majors. Speakers include a diverse group of alumnae to inform students of a variety of career options and paths. Engineering communication through group dynamics, short oral presentations, and graphical engineering designs will be emphasized.

Topics include:

Transition to College
Major Exploration
Alumnae Speakers
College Success Skills
Team Building
Career Planning
 

Instructor: Bernd F. Schliemann

Office: 126 Marston Hall
Phone: (413) 545-6251

E-mail: bfschliemann@ecs.umass.edu

Office Hours: walk-in anytime or by appointment