Eastern Michigan University classes in the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology are a place for students to discover their passion for real world applications in the field. One such class, CEET 326 Industrial Electrical Control, prepares students for a variety of careers in electrical engineering.
Last month, the class had the opportunity to partake in a field trip to a Stellantis Automotive Plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan. At the factory, five students and two faculty members were given a tour, coordinated by Sanni Adekunle and led by Mike Alschbach.
The experience was a fantastic one for the class’ professor Kyle Koskinen, who has a passion for robots and their numerous capabilities.
“Almost the whole pick-up truck [we saw] was assembled by robots … everywhere you look there [were] robots,” Koskinen said of the factory tour.
As a professor in the STEM field, Koskinen aims to give students opportunities to see what they’re studying in action. The robotics classroom in Sill Hall is filled with the same FANUC robots that the Stellantis plant is.
“The students said, ‘That’s exactly what we’re doing in class,’ so it just reinforced that it is actually a valuable knowledge to have,” Koskinen said.
His students certainly agreed.
“It was overwhelming … it [was] really crazy to see the small, minute things that we’ve been doing here on a grand scale,” Mike Martin, a computer and electrical engineering technology veteran student graduating this spring, said.
While the work these students are doing in the classroom may seem small at times, its applications certainly are not.
“The biggest thing that [the field trip] actually really showed me was that even the smallest, niche applications that we learn in school have such an importance in the real world. For example, we spent, I think, five or six weeks just building a panel, and I never actually understood the real world application until we went on the field trip,” Karim Fares, a computer and electrical engineering technology major also graduating this spring, said.
The field trip served as an opportunity for students to see their education in action in the real world.
“Exactly what we’re doing in here is what we’re going to be doing out there,” said Isabella Trueblood, a sophomore majoring in computer and electrical engineering technology.
For some students, classes like this one have broadened and shifted their perspectives of their education and career goals.
“When I first went, I thought it was going to be boring, but I’m a curious person … and after the field trip, I was surprised that it was interesting. I was considering maybe I would want to work in this field,” Ghazal Abushal, a junior majoring in computer and electrical engineering technology, said.
Field trips like this are one of the many ways the department and faculty work to support students in the GameAbove College of Engineering and Technology. With an overall smaller program providing smaller class sizes, students have more opportunities to work directly with professors, equipment, and earn internships.
“The fun thing about the [computer and electrical engineering technology] degree is that it kind of gives you a basis of a little bit of everything … and now that we’re so close to graduation, we get to look at what we want to try first and explore,” said Martin.
Many of the students have already started internships in their desired fields, using the knowledge gained from EMU to set themselves up for success.
“I did start an internship as an electrical engineer, and at first I thought maybe I wouldn’t be fully prepared, but once I started, I realized I did learn a lot more than I thought I did when I was in school. I learned a lot about the circuitry, and the electrical work, and, most importantly, mapping out schematics. So I do feel like I was prepared,” Fares said.
Not only has the college provided students with future career development opportunities, but while in the classroom, all students have been able to succeed.
“I’ve never really experienced anything like this … and so far it’s been pretty great. This class [CEET 326] especially, it’s been so helpful and it makes me feel more confident,” Trueblood said of her experience as a STEM student.
“Our professor is very supportive … he’s making it easier for us,” Abushal said of her academic support network at EMU.
