WYOMISSING, Pa. — “This program has prepared me to think deeper, solve problems at a higher level and make connections with important people,” commented Tyler Albert of Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania. “These people have shown that they truly care about how I do as a student and as an individual.”
Penn State Berks is helping a future generation of engineering students to succeed through the college’s Engineering Ahead Program, which is now in its seventh year. The goal of the four-week summer “bridge” program, which ran from June 26 to July 22, is to increase retention rates among a diverse group of engineering students by enhancing academic preparedness and providing support.
Ryan Hassler, Engineering Ahead coordinator and associate teaching professor of mathematics at Penn State Berks, explained the value of the program.
“Engineering jobs are in very high demand, however there are not enough graduates to fill the need. The problem is two-fold: recruitment and retention. Only 1% to 2.5% of secondary students are interested in STEM subjects. Of the 60% of students who earn an engineering degree, only 12% are from underrepresented populations.”
Students from a variety of academic backgrounds come from the tri-state area (Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey) and beyond to apply for a seat in the program. This year’s 20-student cohort also included students from Delaware, Texas and Illinois. The students plan to major in various engineering disciplines, including aerospace, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer, electrical, electro-mechanical and mechanical.
Daily schedules include intensive math “boot camps” focused on pre-calculus, problem-solving exercises, the scientific method, technology, career exploration, tutoring sessions, faculty and external speaker presentations on a variety of topics, and discussion of the course textbook, "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. Students also participated in several lab activities with a focus on aerospace, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and chemistry.