Grand Valley State University recently received national recognition
for providing students with real-world experience and serving the
growing need for engineers. Grand Valley was named one of 29
institutions in the U.S. as an Exemplar of Real World Engineering
Education by the National Academy of Engineering.
Grand Valley was recognized at the American Society for
Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference, which took place June
10-13. ASEE created a video that describes Grand Valley’s engineering
program.
Paul Plotkowski, dean of the Padnos College of Engineering and
Computing, said the 100 percent job placement rate for Grand Valley
engineering graduates can be attributed to the growing need for
engineers. “Everybody is just really healthy right now and looking for
interns,” Plotkowski said. “We have seen huge demand for everything,
such as in the manufacturing, aerospace, furniture and automotive
sectors in West Michigan and beyond.”
Plotkowski said the recognition demonstrates Grand Valley’s
strong partnerships with the community and statewide industries, and
that Grand Valley’s engineering education model can be replicated at
universities throughout the country.