https://www.tallahassee.com/story/opinion/2019/03/22/famu-fsu-college-engineering-building-momentum-opinion/3234042002/
If you walk the halls of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and talk to students, the excitement they have about their future careers is palpable. They are studying to design bridges and robots, develop the devices and procedures that solve medical problems, and advance the latest manufacturing technologies. With knowledge in their pockets and their lives in front of them, the possibilities are endless.
The same sense of optimism is true for the institution itself, which is the only college of engineering in the nation that belongs to two universities. Four years after FAMU and FSU agreed to come forward in a renewed spirit of cooperation, the college has soared 19 points in the national rankings, increased external funding by 30 percent, recruited 20 outstanding new faculty, expanded programs to Panama City and introduced two new engineering degree programs.
Graduate student applications are up 16 percent at both FAMU and FSU compared with this time last year. And the college has built strong partnerships with top employers in the industry, including Northrop Grumman, Texas Instruments and Dow Chemical, who praise the preparation and diversity of its graduates.
The success of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering comes at a time when employers are hungry for new engineering graduates, with industrial engineers, computer systems engineers and civil engineers among the most highly sought and highly paid STEM job openings in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
In fact, almost all students at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering have a job, or are confident in getting one after graduation. Bachelor’s degree graduates earn an average of $60,000 in their first year of employment and doctoral degree graduates earn well over $100,000 mid-career. Importantly, Ph.D.s in engineering occupy three of the top 10 best doctoral degrees by salary, according to PayScale.
Credit for the college’s momentum goes to our elected leaders and the Board of Governors, as well as FAMU President Larry Robinson, FSU President John Thrasher and College of Engineering Dean Murray Gibson, who work relentlessly to make sure every student gets the experience that will excite them about learning and prepare them for the workforce.
Leaders at both universities are working alongside the Board of Governors to enthusiastically make the case for a legislative budget request of $6.4 million. This funding would ensure the college can continue its gains in student retention, graduation and recruitment, retain faculty, broaden its curriculum, create more flexibility for students, decrease class sizes and contribute to the State University System’s push to raise its national profile on research.
The FAMU-FSU College of Engineering has made excellent progress, and much is at stake in the next few years as the college — and its home institutions — continue to push to the next level. The college’s diverse makeup allows students to train in real-world cross-cultural teams, which is considered a huge asset in today’s collaborative engineering environment.
Further, FSU is on the cusp of breaking into the Top 25 in U.S. News & World Report, and FAMU is among the nation’s top five schools for improving the social mobility of its graduates. An excellent engineering school is a crucial part of both equations.
I am proud of the college’s progress, hopeful about its future, and excited for the potential it has to transform the lives of our students and the future of our state.
Marshall Criser III is chancellor of the State University System of Florida.
