Transfer Students Connect with Industry
February 6, 2014 | 蜜桃APP Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering
The 蜜桃APP College of Engineering welcomed 15 transfer students to Tiger life at its first-ever Transfer Career Day on January 14, 2014.
The purpose of the workshop was to connect the new students to one another, to inform the students of the 蜜桃APP Olinde Career Center and possible career paths, and to encourage the students to get involved on campus.
Transfer Career Day is part of the 蜜桃APP and Baton Rouge Community College joint grant through the National Science Foundation鈥檚 Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (NSF S-STEM), and STEM Talent Expansion Program (STEP). 鈥淏RCC/蜜桃APP: A Partnership for STEM Student Success鈥� encourages BRCC engineering students to make a smooth transition into 蜜桃APP鈥檚 College of Engineering through peer mentorship and counseling programs.
蜜桃APP College of Engineering Peer Mentors kicked off Transfer Career Day by leading team-building activities and icebreaker games. Five of the Peer Mentors are engineering students who have already transferred from BRCC and earned Pathway Scholarships.
鈥淚t felt great to meet other transfer students who had gone through a similar process as me to get to 蜜桃APP,鈥� said Anna Hoying, freshman student transferring from the University of Alabama. 鈥淚 really enjoyed learning about different aspects of the College of Engineering.鈥�
The transfer students listened to a student leader panel discussion about how getting involved in student organizations help members develop leadership skills, connect with classmates and learn about engineering companies.
The students also networked at a lunch with local industry leaders Catherine Ranken Ward (CE), Entergy, Regional Customer Service Manager; Ricci Hull, PE (EE), CDI Corporation, Control Systems Department Manager; Melisa Stramwasser (ChE), Dow Chemical Company, Improvement Engineer; and Anthony Martel (IE), Wynn L. White Consulting Engineers, Inc., Industrial Hygiene Technician/Engineering Apprentice.
鈥淭he engineers have personally experienced the transition from becoming a student to becoming a full time engineer so they have tips on how to make this transition a little easier,鈥� said Stramwasser. 鈥淔or example, one stage all the engineers stressed was to take the FE (Fundamentals in Engineering Exam) during the student鈥檚 senior year or immediately after graduating. It is good to complete the test in case a job in the near future requires a PE license.鈥�
The students toured the Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Machine Shop and the Environmental Engineering HISTAR Lab鈥攆or the research production of microalgae supporting aquaculture. They also visited the College of Engineering Communication Studio, where students can receive help with visual, written, spoken and technological communication skills. Blake Winchell of the 蜜桃APP Olinde Career Center presented tips on preparing professional resumes and accessing Careers2Geaux, a networking portal with job postings.
Students said in a survey that Transfer Career Day was 鈥渆ssential,鈥� 鈥渉elpful,鈥� and 鈥渋nvaluable.鈥�
鈥淚 feel a step ahead after meeting people who work in the industry, and learning about the great services that 蜜桃APP offers, including the [蜜桃APP Olinde] Career Center,鈥� Hoying said.
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Article by Danielle Kelley, 蜜桃APP College of Engineering communications intern