UMSL’s School of Engineering and Bridge Program Collaborate to Prepare Future Engineers for the St. Louis Workforce
Photos by University of Missouri–St. Louis, Derik Holtmann and Jay Fram. Above: School of Engineering students assembling a robotic car.
“Just about everything you see is engineering.”
That’s what Dr. George Nnanna, founding director of the University of Missouri–St. Louis’s School of Engineering, had to say about what makes students want to pursue a career in the field. He pointed out that the opportunity to support their community, the high pay, and the chance to flex their creativity and innovation are huge draws for students.
Indeed, demand continues to grow as UMSL’s School of Engineering enters its second year. Enrollment in the first public engineering program in Eastern Missouri has doubled to 125, and the school recently opened its doors to transfer students, ensuring more young people can access an affordable path to an in-demand career.
“My biggest hope for UMSL Engineering in the next few years is that we will have a robust enrollment and strong recruitment and retention and to be able to supply the workforce that is needed for the region,” Nnanna said. “My hope is that we will be able to transform lives through enhancing socioeconomic mobility of the students and their families that have joined us.”
To support the launch of the new School of Engineering, the James S. McDonnell Foundation made an $8 million investment in UMSL to help attract faculty, build a robust pipeline of interested students, and provide scholarships that remove financial barriers and make economic mobility more attainable.
Finding Unexpected Opportunities
From a young age, Daniel Rose wanted to know how things were made and how they worked. The St. Louis native is now a rising sophomore at the UMSL School of Engineering, which he was drawn to because of — not in spite of — its newness.
“I wanted to be a part of something that was fairly new instead of integrating into something that’s already existing,” Rose said. “And I wanted to make that better and see what I could do for myself and, ultimately, the program.”
The school currently offers degree programs in civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering, with a strong emphasis on hands-on learning, undergraduate research, and partnerships with local industries.
“The new engineering program at UMSL has a lot of opportunities that even I, being in the program, was not able to take part in or go into [all of them], … like clubs, that you could take advantage of to get some experience while in it,” Rose said, citing options like robotics clubs.
In another example, the Society of Automotive Engineers Club will soon have students design a go-kart and race it against other schools. Rose also had the opportunity to attend a Mechanical Contractors Association of America convention, where students networked with peers as well as those already in the industry.
This past summer, Rose returned as a student mentor for UMSL’s Bridge initiative, a free program preparing hundreds of local middle and high school students for college each year. Bridge’s executive director, Dr. Channon Peoples, called Rose “a stellar representative” of the program who “never fell short of accomplishing his goals,” even on hard days.
Building an Engineering Pipeline Through Bridge
Bridge, now in its 40th year, offers a four-week summer academy as well as a Saturday academy that runs during the school year. Among other facets, it encompasses career and professional development support, boot camps around college entrance essays and standardized tests, and even workshops for parents. Students get the chance to develop soft skills like leadership and public speaking while also benefiting from academic skills workshops.
“Bridge is a holistic way of making sure our students are prepared for the next transition in their life,” Peoples said. “It’s not just preparing them for college. It really is preparing them for life.”
In the past year, the School of Engineering and the Bridge program have increasingly collaborated to expose more middle and high school students to engineering pathways, with part of JSMF’s investment going to support STEM college readiness efforts.
“It has just been a blessing to have our own school of engineering that we can have our students be tied directly to,” Peoples said. “This past summer, they were a part of our career demonstration day. They will be a part of our career fairs and our classes, helping to introduce our students to engineering, to where they see themselves and how they can be a part of the industry. … Our goal is to always expose our students to the opportunities around them.”
As for Rose, he’s not yet sure what specific job he hopes to do after graduation, but he’s excited to use the skills he’s learned from Bridge and the School of Engineering.
When asked what advice he’d give to other students, Rose shared: “I’d give them encouragement to keep on going in the program, especially with Bridge. The end goal is to complete the program. And ultimately, the Bridge program will provide you with understanding about college … so keep on going.”