Electrical and computer engineers work in computer design, the power industry, instrumentation, solid-state electronics, speech and image processing, research and development, manufacturing, and communications. Laboratory work and design experiences are central to the major. The senior design laboratory serves as a capstone engineering project in which each student works with a faculty member on a design problem. The department maintains five modern laboratories supporting instruction in electronics, computer systems, control systems, circuits and signal processing, and fiber optics. They play a major role in the mechanical design and manufacture of products often thought of in connection with other branches of engineering.
Some examples are computers, chemical processing equipment, and biomedical devices.
Mechanical engineers are versatile in that they are prepared for employment in virtually all industries. More than 60 students and faculty gathered for the mini-dragster competition. Student teams designed the dragsters for the junior manufacturing and design course. The cars are built from scratch and must carry an egg safely past the finish line. For Carson Conant '98, choosing mechanical engineering fit perfectly with his desire to invent.