Conference Session

Mentoring Graduate Students

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Heidar Malki, University of Houston; Michael Gibson, University of Houston; Enrique Barbieri, University of Houston; William Fitzgibbon, University of Houston

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

proposing an interdisciplinary graduate programs in technology is tocapitalize on CoT resources to provide graduate degrees that integrate the different disciplineswithin the college. A secondary motivation is to elevate the research emphasis within the CoT.Establishing a CoT-wide graduate degree will provide a method of moving towards a doctoraldegree in Technology, consistent with the objectives of a Research 1 university. A fundamentalgraduate degree program proposal would include core courses Technology/leadership/Management, specialized tracks for various CoT disciplines (Concentrations), Practicum//internship, and thesis/project.Literature ReviewThere have been increasing efforts to establish new innovative and interdisciplinary

Conference Session

Mentoring Graduate Students

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Wesley Stone, Western Carolina University; Chip Ferguson, Western Carolina University; Aaron Ball, Western Carolina University

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

projects are being pursued through a senior projects course format in the Spring 2006semester. The array of projects is being managed by a graduate student—the same student whoperformed the analysis on the Liberty Wood Products picture frame line as an undergraduate.The engagement process at the undergraduate level has assisted in this transition fromundergraduate to graduate student. With engagement being a critical component of the MSTgraduate student’s curriculum, an undergraduate student has the opportunity to test the waters.Additionally, the faculty members have a chance to evaluate the quality of the student’s workand level of self-motivation. Most of the MST graduate students at WCU have entered theprogram from the undergraduate ranks at

Conference Session

New Trends in Engineering Graduate Education

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kenneth Ports, QTS, Inc.; Dennis Kulonda, Florida Tech; Clifford Bragdon, Florida Tech; Carmo D'Cruz, Florida Tech

Tagged Divisions

Graduate Studies

and it attracts great venture capital streams to itsindustries, so there ready capital for infrastructure investment and business development. It has ahighly educated population and an international perspective, which make it easy for foreigners towork and establish business relationships. It has great supply of high-tech managementprofessionals who have many years of experience in manufacturing.There is close collaboration between high-tech companies and universities in Taiwan.Universities integrate their curriculum into the high-tech industry needs through the relationshipsof the schools with the high-tech parks. The science-based knowledge and education of theTaiwanese is a good fit with technology and problem-solving innovation. Taiwan’s