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NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN: A REPORT ON THE EXPERIENCES IN BOEING’S WELLIVER FACULTY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Abstract

This paper outlines my experiences in the Welliver Faculty Fellowship Program sponsored by The Boeing Company for the summer of 2009. The experience is traced from first learning of the Welliver Program, the application process, acceptance, actual time spent at Boeing, and what happens post Welliver. From the first contact, Boeing personnel were extremely professional and the Welliver program achieved its overall goals: “to provide faculty with a better understanding of the practical industry application of engineering, manufacturing, information technology and business skills, to help faculty enhance the content of undergraduate education in ways that will better prepare tomorrow's graduates for careers in a global environment and, to have faculty observe the Boeing environments, processes, and procedures with ‘fresh perspectives.’ Faculty will use their expertise to help identify areas for possible improvements and document their observations at Boeing.” Overall, the program was very valuable for me professionally. Boeing also received valued feedback on their operations. Some of the Fellows’ observations led to constructive suggestions offered to help the Welliver program process improve. The paper will also outline how the Welliver program has impacted my teaching in my subsequent courses and how I am able to share my experiences with the faculty and students at my institution. The Welliver Faculty Fellowship Program is something for which Boeing should be commended and remain committed.

Introduction

The Boeing Company is a company dedicated to developing the best engineers in the world. Early on, pioneers such as John McMasters from Boeing, with his unique style of addressing learning1,2, recognized the need to integrate industry and education with the goal of improving the education process. John McMasters and Lee Matsch, from Allied Signal, authored a paper entitled “Desired Attributes of an Engineering Graduate – An Industry Perspective” in 1996 outlining their view of engineering education leading to the practice of engineering3. Eventually Boeing adopted its list of the “Desired Attributes of an Engineer” which has helped shape the ABET assessment process (see Figure 1)4. Boeing’s commitment to the engineering education process is evident in the unique program called The Boeing Welliver Faculty Fellowship Program. This is a program that grew out of a series of Boeing-University workshops held in Seattle in February and July of 1994. The program selects university professors to “intern” at Boeing for two months during the summer and this program has been operated by Boeing every summer since 1995.

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Van Treuren, K. (2010, June), Never Too Old To Learn: A Report On The Experiences In Boeing’s Welliver Faculty Fellowship Program Paper presented at 2010 Annual Conference & Exposition, Louisville, Kentucky. 10.18260/1-2--16170