college of engineering « Engineering Stories

Nuclear energy has grown in popularity over the years due to its low-carbon footprint, reliable energy supply, and upstanding safety reports. Yet public perception of the energy source got a little shaky after the March 2011 earthquake in Japan damaged a nuclear power station, resulting in a leak of radioactive nucleotides onto the shore and into the ocean. As the world was second-guessing nuclear power, victims, the media, and researchers alike turned to an institution on the forefront of researching the increased dependability and safety of nuclear power: Oregon State University.

Read the whole story by Kathryn Higley in Terra.

–Chelsi Rayford

By Rachel Robertson

Even in a sluggish economy, industries are still struggling to recruit computer science graduates. So, keeping students interested throughout their education is a common goal for both industry and educators.

Engaging the best talent as freshman is the aim of the Intel Learning Company (ILC), a joint project by the Intel Corporation and OSU’s School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS). Supervised by faculty members Carlos Jensen and Kevin McGrath, the students work in teams on real projects to gain valuable work-ready skills in programming, teamwork and leadership.

“We’re really emphasizing experiential learning and challenging students beyond what they can do right now,” said Terri Fiez, head of EECS.

Armed with their new skills, ILC students found summer work programming, teaching, performing research and community outreach. Students credited the ILC with helping to secure opportunities and be successful in their positions. They applied their lessons in networking, communication skills, problems solving, and workflow, and found having a broader range of experiences with programming languages made them more employable.

More…

With flat screen TVs being a multi-billion dollar industry, John Wager, Oregon State professor of electrical and computer engineering, was headed in the right direction when he developed specialized transistor to make clear display screens a reality. With the transistors now being licensed by some big names, the next step is how to manufacture these fancy TVs and create less waste in the process. View the whole story here.

–Chelsi Rayford

“Dreams may have something to do with humans never being satisfied, which is why we go exploring in the first place”
–Don Pettit.

Being ranked fourth of all NASA astronauts for time in space, Pettit is kept busy conducting experiments, creating science videos, and even planting zucchini that’s out of this world…. literally. Read the whole story on his space dreams here.

–Chelsi Rayford

LEBANON, Ore. – Oregon State University’s award-winning Baja and Formula racing cars will be on display Sept. 15 at Willamette Speedway in Lebanon. Students will be on hand to talk to race lovers about the teams’ recent successes and adventures, and to inspire Lebanon students to consider pursuing a degree in engineering. Continue reading →

Engineering Stories

News and research, student achievements, faculty engagement, and alumnus accomplishments.

Tag Archives: college of engineering

Nuclear Power After Fukushima

Making It Real: Intel Learning Company Jump Starts Freshmen

OSU Professor Invents Something Good Enough for the Big Screen

OSU Alumnus Reaching for the Stars

OSA Formula SAE cars featured at Willamette Speedway Sept. 15

Contact Info