Current and prospective students, faculty and staff were able to explore the field of engineering through daily activities and events. Graphic by Lily O’Connor.
KATE NORROD | STAFF REPORTER | knorrod@butler.edu
National Engineers Week (E-Week) is celebrated Feb. 22 through 28, and this year Butler was involved for the first time. The Engineering Dual Degree Program (EDDP), an agreement between Butler and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), is coming to an end after 25 years. This fall, the new engineering program sponsored by Butler alone will launch, featuring bioengineering, chemical engineering and mechanical engineering majors. E-Week serves as a way to look forward to the new department.
Monday, Feb. 23 started the week of activities with a meet and greet with engineering faculty and staff with sweets were provided. The rest of the week consisted of events aimed to engage the community with engineering concepts and offerings.
Jeff Carvell, a Butler graduate and the inaugural department chair of engineering, especially enjoyed this first event. Carvell spent time at Marian University founding its engineering program before hearing about Butler’s plans and returning to his alma mater.
“I met people from departments that I had not met before, and we will probably be working closely together in the future,” Carvell said.
In the brand-new Engineering MakerSpace, 3D printers were open to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Carvell noted the large turnout of the event, adding that there was a lot of energy in the room, which he enjoyed.
Wednesday, Feb. 25 offered a wind tunnel demonstration involving paper planes. A women in engineering-themed trivia event was hosted on Thursday, Feb. 26, where prizes were given out to all participants. Friday, Feb. 27 was the last event day, where students and staff were challenged to build the tallest tower they could out of marshmallows and uncooked spaghetti noodles.
Carvell stated that the timing of the E-Week launch was intentional, given that the new program is arriving on campus this fall. The department is developing quickly with the addition of new labs and equipment, and Carvell was able to show off the new equipment to Butler Bound students on Friday.
“A month ago, these labs didn’t exist,” Carvell said. “So, even in the past month, [seeing] that growth has been really exciting, and we can’t wait to have our own students.”
Anaiah Banks, an EDDP art + design and mechanical engineering dual major, feels that the new program will include a lot of things she thinks are missing from EDDP, including more hands-on elements compared to lots of theoretical learning, which she finds to be more stressful and less engaging.
“Since they’re bringing in new equipment, I think that’s just a step toward the right path,” Banks said.
CJ Carmichael is also a senior art + design and mechanical engineering dual major, looking to go into the gaming industry after graduation. He hopes to take advantage of the new technology that Butler has brought in. Carmichael is also looking forward to what Butler engineering could become.
“I was really happy to learn that they did streamline [the process] for students here at Butler, because it is a liberal arts college, but it has such a great focus on STEM as well,” Carmichael said.
Carvell corroborated this by citing The Butler Way.
“This is going to be a Butler version of engineering,” Carvell said. “It’s not going to be the same thing you get at Purdue [or] Rose-Hulman.”
Due to engineering being placed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the new curriculum will be more unique compared to other universities’ engineering programs. Carvell emphasized a focus on ethics, economics, speaking and writing like an engineer.
Banks agreed that a Butler education is different from one you would receive at any other college.
“Having all those elements [of success] along with [Butler] teaching will help students go a lot farther than [they] probably would have in the normal EDDP program,” Banks said.
