Student Development of Valpo’s Solar Furnace and A Program to Prepare Students to Obtain High Quality Employment

The Mechanical Engineering program at Valpo recognizes that it is critical to prepare our graduates for immediate success once they begin their employment.  This presentation will describe two methods that we use to prepare our engineering students in this regard.  First, we provide them with the opportunity to participate in real-life engineering projects such as the design and construction of our solar furnace (one of only five such at research facilities in the United States).  Second, we require all engineering students to complete a program that prepares them to obtain high quality internships and full-time jobs.