HOT CAREERS

Behind the Scenes with Engineers

By Robert Ross

“Engineers create,” says Don Rabern, dean of engineering at Embry-Riddle’s campus in Prescott, Ariz. “But instead of using a paintbrush or musical instrument, they use math and science, and they create a car, a spacecraft, a circuit, or a dam. They have constraints such as gravity, weight limits, and carrying a certain number of passengers. They do amazingly clever things within confined parameters.”

Engineers.... They’re the people we can’t see behind the things we can’t live without.

They solve the problems – tiny and titanic – that stand in the way of the next improvement in our lives.

Cars, and the roads they take. iPods, and the studios that mix the tunes. Computers, and the programs that run them. Airplanes, and the airports they take off from and the avionics that keep them airborne. Pacemakers, and the software that keeps a heart beating 24/7.

The list is endless.

People become engineers for all sorts of reasons. Some are happiest when they’re solving problems. Give them a puzzle and they’re in paradise. And if it does some good, that’s great, too.

Others just want to help people. To do that, they solve problems that lead to helpful solutions.

Math and science as creative tools

Embry-Riddle
Engineering at a Glance

• Number 1 undergraduate
aerospace engineering
program -- past 7 years
(U.S. News/World Report)
• Number 9 for all engineering
programs
(U.S. News/World Report)
• 6 B.S. programs: aerospace, civil,
computer, electrical, mechanical,
and software engineering
• 2 M.S. programs: aerospace and
software engineering

Meet engineering graduates

“The ability to solve real-world problems is what sets engineering apart from other jobs,” says Chris Grant, associate dean of engineering and associate professor of civil engineering at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Fla., campus.

And although engineers need a solid knowledge of math and physics, their job is anything but boring.

“Engineers create,” says Don Rabern, dean of engineering at Embry-Riddle’s campus in Prescott, Ariz. “But instead of using a paintbrush or musical instrument, they use math and science, and they create a car, a spacecraft, a circuit, or a dam. They have constraints such as gravity, weight limits, and carrying a certain number of passengers. They do amazingly clever things within confined parameters.”

To convert their curiosity into successful outcomes, engineers use a proven four-step process. They first identify the problem or goal. The second step is to brainstorm, examine what others have done, and come up with new solutions. Next, they analyze these possibilities and make choices. Finally, they evaluate the performance of one or more of these choices.

While many universities offer a variety of engineering degree programs, Embry-Riddle is unique. It is the only university in the United States where the focus is on aerospace platforms.

For the past seven years, U.S. News/World Report’s “Best Colleges” issue has rated the university’s aerospace engineering program Number One among schools without PhD programs. And when all engineering programs are combined, Embry-Riddle is ranked ninth best in the nation among more than 200 universities, up from 19th place six years ago.

‘More than aerospace engineering’

But engineering aerospace is more than aerospace engineering.

"To power a vehicle designed by aerospace engineers, you need mechanical engineers," says Ray Mankbadi, associate dean for engineering research at Daytona Beach. “For the computers that run it, you go to computer, electrical and software engineers. For the airport or spaceport it will use, you turn to civil engineers.”

In addition to its well-known program in aerospace engineering, Embry-Riddle offers degrees in civil engineering, computer engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and software engineering.

Aerospace engineers deal with problems of fuel efficiency and new ways to get around. They design big jets as well as the new, flexible light jets. At Embry-Riddle, aerospace engineering focuses on aeronautics, the design of aircraft airframes, and astronautics, the design of spacecraft airframes.

Civil engineers design airports, seaports, subways, and roadways to solve problems of traffic congestion, air quality, residential living patterns, and the movement of people, goods and services.

Computer, electrical, and software engineers create the embedded software and electronics that go into the navigation systems of aircraft, spacecraft, cars and other vehicles, as well as in cell phones, pacemakers and other medical devices.

Mechanical engineers design propulsion systems for vehicles, using high-tech, light-weight materials. Mechanical engineering at Embry-Riddle has two tracks. One involves robotics for manufacturing, space vehicles, and unmanned airborne and ground vehicles. A second track, in high-performance vehicles, emphasizes power generation, new fuels, and alternate energies. At the Prescott campus, the second track is aircraft propulsion.

In their freshman year, the university’s engineering students take coursework that is common to every engineering degree, giving them the flexibility to choose the engineering program that is right for them without affecting their progress toward graduation.

With its rigorous math and physics background, Embry-Riddle’s engineering curriculum is accredited by the prestigious Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.

Read about the dynamic careers of a few of our engineering graduates.

For more about engineering at Embry-Riddle:

College of Engineering -- Daytona Beach campus: http://www.erau.edu/dbcoe