WYOMISSING, Pa. – “Being part of Engineering Ahead has made me feel more like an engineer,” stated Aaron Smith, a first-year student from Hamburg, Pennsylvania. “I decided to apply to this program because I heard it would give me a leg up on my college journey. I felt the math review was most helpful, though the industry visits were the most enjoyable. This program has prepared me for college level math and has given me some direction for obtaining an internship or research project.”
Penn State Berks is helping a future generation of engineering students succeed through the college’s Engineering Ahead Program, which is now in its eighth year. The goal of the four-week summer “bridge” program, which ran from June 25 to July 21, 2023, is to increase retention rates among a diverse group of engineering students by enhancing academic preparedness and developing a support network.
Ryan Hassler, Engineering Ahead coordinator and 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 about 18% of first-year students nationwide enter college as a declared STEM major. Of the 60 percent of students who earn an engineering degree, only 12 percent 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 19-student cohort also included students from Virginia, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico. The students plan to study in various engineering disciplines, including aerospace, architectural, biomedical, chemical, civil, computer engineering, computer science, electrical, industrial and mechanical engineering.
Daily schedules include intensive math “boot camps” focused on pre-calculus, problem-solving exercises, facilitated tutoring sessions, faculty and external speaker presentations on a variety of topics, and discussion of the course textbook, Atomic Habits by James Clear. The program also covers such subjects as the scientific method, technology integration and career exploration.
In addition to Hassler, the core Engineering Ahead Program team includes Dawn Pfeifer Reitz, assistant teaching professor of communication arts and sciences, and Sonia Delaquito, coordinator of the college’s Learning Center. Kathleen Hauser, assistant teaching professor in engineering, also mentored the students with their engineering design community engagement project. In total, more than 32 Penn State Berks faculty, staff and alumni supported this year’s program by donating their time and expertise through presentations and talks.