It’s time for engineering education to be transformed

The Dwight Look College of Engineering is the largest college on the Texas A&M campus with more than 500 faculty members and more than 14,000 engineering students in 22 different programs in 13 departments. While these numbers are impressive, there is a critical and growing demand in Texas and the United States for more engineers. The Texas Workforce Commission is projecting a 19 percent growth in engineering jobs in the next 12 years. This equates to more than 43,000 jobs.

Texas A&M is stepping forward to address this critical state and national need through an innovative, sustainable and systemic change of their educational enterprise. The 25 by 25 initiative is a transformational program to increase access for qualified students to pursue engineering education at Texas A&M to an enrollment of 25,000 engineering students by 2025. “The 25 by 25 initiative is not just about increasing enrollment, but also about providing better instruction and student opportunities. We will transform engineering education to mold the engineer of the future,” said M. Katherine Banks, Dean, Dwight Look College of Engineering.

How does this transformation happen?

A contribution from Zachry Group will support the construction of the Zachry Engineering Education Complex (EEC), establishment of the Zachry Leadership Program and the Zachry Group Professor of Practice within the Department of Mechanical Engineering.

The 550,000 square foot EEC building will become the hub of the college’s undergraduate program. The building project will include an extensive renovation and addition to the existing Zachry Engineering Center. Construction is underway and is expected to be completed in the spring of 2018.

A second component of the gift creates the Zachry Leadership Program at Texas A&M. The program is a joint effort between Texas A&M Dwight Look College of Engineering and Zachry Group to expand leadership development for engineering students. The purpose of this program is to further empower engineering students to become future leaders who are well-versed in our free enterprise system, collaborative in their decision-making, and humbly self-confident in their behaviors.

The five semester program, commencing spring of sophomore year, is designed to provide students with a broader perspective of the world in which they will live and work. “The desire of the Zachry Leadership Program is to maximize each participant’s potential to contribute to business and society at large, allowing the opportunity for students to not only learn about leadership, but become overall better citizens in the community as they enter the workforce,” according to Tinsley Smith, director of community investment & philanthropy, external affairs for Zachry. When fully established, 100 students will participate in the program and will receive scholarships each semester of the program. Upon completion, students will receive 15 credit hours and a certificate in Engineering Leadership. The first cohort of the Zachry Leadership Program will begin in January 2016.

The third element of the gift from Zachry Group will establish a Professor of Practice in mechanical engineering. Recognizing the need for real-world experience and application, the endowment will enable the department to engage and place industry leaders in the classroom to share their experiences and mentor the next generation of engineers.

“We are very proud to make this gift as an expression of our commitment to corporate citizenship and education. At a time when there is a national shortage of engineers, we are excited to support the vision of Dean Banks and Texas A&M University to produce more engineers than any other institution. We view this as an investment in the future of our state and our country,” said John B. Zachry, Chairman and CEO of Zachry Group.