The NT College of Engineering has been awarded one of six awards given out nationwide to provide hands-on learning for students. The college received $998,688 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to start-up a new program. According to Dr. Murali Varanasi, chair of NT's electrical engineering program, most of the money will go to new equipment, conducting workshops, graduate studies, providing scholarships and adding professors.

The College of Engineering has already recruited three new members to the faculty, all of which have doctorates in engineering. "The program will most benefit the students in the electrical engineering program," Varanasi said. "It will make them ready for a job as soon as they graduate."

All NT students can take advantage of the program beginning with their freshman year throughout graduate school. Students from TWU are also encouraged to complete their electrical engineering degrees at NT. Women and minorities from TWU can earn scholarships of $6,000 from the program. Varanasi explained that receiving the award was a complicated process. The university had to submit a proposal to the foundation panel and go through a peer review process in order to qualify for the funds.

The three best features the project offers, according to Varanasi, are "project orientation," "learning to learn" and the "business courses." The "project orientation" gives students hands-on experience applying theories they study in class to real situations. "Learning to learn" is designed to teach students how to comprehend what they are doing. The "business courses" are designed prepare students for the practical side of the business world. "It is a great thing for the college to get any award like that," said Chris Heiden, academic counselor for the Department of Engineering. "I think this will be really good. It's an innovative approach to engineering, and obviously NSF thought so too."

Dr. Oscar Garcia helped pioneer the idea along with other contributors including: Varanasi, professor of computer science, Kathy Swigger, professor or engineering, Reza Mirsham and department chair and head of the Division of Technology and Cognition, Jon Young. "Every year there is going to be a project to better prepare them [students] for the real world," Heiden said. "I think it will [set us apart from other universities], it is a unique approach that no one else is doing."

According to Varanasi, the department of engineering is "delighted" to receive the award and it will be NT's "best kept secret."

For more information on how to get involved with the project, contact Dr. Varanasi at (940) 891-6700.

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