Engineering a Better Tomorrow at NC State
Creating a better future through discovery, learning and innovation is the core of our mission in the College of Engineering at North Carolina State University. We serve our state, nation and world by fostering an environment that encourages our students, faculty and staff to explore possibilities and challenge the limits of our world.
For more than a century NC State University has provided quality engineering education, research and outreach to the people of North Carolina. As the largest engineering program in the state and one of the largest in the nation, the College of Engineering is among the leading colleges of engineering in the world.
The integration of research and education is an essential component of undergraduate education in the college. Early exposure to research and the opportunity to work alongside graduate students and professors inspires undergraduates to think beyond textbook facts and figures. It encourages creativity and instills in them a level of self-confidence that motivates many to consider graduate education and the pursuit of highly innovative career paths. The organizations that drive our economy need engineers who are not only capable of meeting current employment needs but who also create the "jobs of tomorrow." We are educating these future engineers today.
New developments at NC State make this one of the most exciting times to be a part of this institution. Thanks to important investments made by the Legislature and the people of North Carolina, the College is in the process of moving to NC State's Centennial Campus, an innovative "campus of the future" where industry, government and academe intersect and work together to tackle global issues. Having our students, faculty and staff located next to leaders in industry such as Red Hat and MeadWestVaco and others provides a concrete connection between academia and industry, which gives our students a significant advantage.
The new Golden LEAF Biomanufacturing Training and Education Center (BTEC), funded from a $33.5 million grant from Golden LEAF (Long-term Economic Advancement Foundation), brings together faculty from the College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences together with the North Carolina community colleges to instruct students in methods of biotechnology implementation in manufacturing. Providing hands-on biomanufacturing, cleanroom and aseptic procedures training and education, BTEC is designed to meet the employment needs of North Carolina's growing biotechnology industry, including continuing education for existing employees.
The College of Engineering at NC State is also a significant partner in the economic development of North Carolina and the nation. Our engineers and computer scientists populate the offices and laboratories of many national and international companies. Our graduates are innovators, working on new technologies and developing new products. Our Engineering Entrepreneurs Program (EEP) has been educating and mentoring young entrepreneurs for more than a decade. EEP graduates have started companies and brought new products and technologies to the marketplace. Our Industrial Extension Service (IES), the first in the nation, provides key services to industry and businesses that generate significant economic impact and help retain and create jobs across the state. And our faculty develop new ideas that are transforming our world. From prosthetics that are designed to become part of an amputee's bone to adult stem cells that can be coaxed to behave like bone cells, from composite metal foams that provide both strength and energy absorption to specially designed fabrics that can monitor our health and sensor networks that can monitor bridge safety, the research conducted in the College of Engineering promises to improve our lives and our future.
At NC State, we are Engineering a Better Tomorrow.
Louis A. Martin-Vega, Ph.D., P.E.
Dean