Engineering and Design

Introduction

The Department of Engineering and Design offers Bachelor of Science degree programs that prepare graduates for technical and professional careers in industry. Each program offers a unique mix of theoretical course work and laboratory exercises where students apply theory to solve practical problems in engineering and design. Creativity is encouraged and emphasized. In addition, Western’s General University Requirements (GURs) provide graduates with a solid foundation in communication skills and contribute to a broad-based education.

The programs are:

Electrical Engineering (Electronics concentration)
Electrical Engineering (Energy concentration)
Manufacturing Engineering
Plastics and Composites Engineering
Industrial Design
Industrial Technology - Vehicle Design

Engineering and Design includes professions in which knowledge of mathematics and natural sciences, technical experience and practice are used to plan, design, create and enhance technologies that benefit humanity. Graduates are employed by major technology companies, such as Boeing, PACCAR, Alpha Technologies, Cypress Semiconductor, Nike, and Microsoft, and by firms such as TEAGUE and Ziba Design, although career opportunities range across the spectrum due to the broad nature of the programs.

Students planning to major in any Engineering and Design program should have a solid foundation in mathematics, chemistry, and physics. Students planning to major in Industrial Design should also have a sound background in art and design.

Faculty

JEFFREY L. NEWCOMER (1998) Chair and Professor. BS, MEng, MS, PhD (Mechanical Engineering), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
SURA K. AL-QUDAH (2014) Assistant Professor. BS (Electronics Engineering), Yarmouk University; MS, PhD (Industrial and Systems Engineering), State University of New York at Binghamton.
TANVEER CHAWLA (2013) Assistant Professor. BE, Gulbarga University; MS (Mechanical Engineering), Wayne State University; PhD (Mechanical Engineering), University of North Dakota.
DAVID D. GILL (2014) Assistant Professor. BS (Mechanical Engineering), Texas Tech University; MS (Mechanical Engineering), Purdue University; PhD (Mechanical Engineering), North Carolina State University.
NICOLE HOEKSTRA (1998) Professor. BS (Mechanical Engineering), MS (Mechanical Engineering), University of Minnesota, Institute of Technology.
XICHEN JIANG (2016) Assistant Professor. BS (Electrical Engineering), MS (Electrical Engineering), PhD (Electrical and Computer Engineering), University of Illinois.
KATHLEEN L. KITTO (1988) Professor, Vice Provost for Research and Dean of the Graduate School. BS, MS (Metallurgical Engineering), Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology.
ANDREW G. KLEIN (2014) Associate Professor. BS (Electrical Engineering), Cornell University; MS (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science), University of California - Berkeley; PhD (Electrical & Computer Engineering) Cornell University.
NICOLE M. LARSON (2005) Professor. BS (Mechanical Engineering), Bradley University; MS (Mechanical Engineering), University of Washington.
ERIC C. LEONHARDT (2002) Associate Professor. BA, Whitman College; BS (Industrial Technology-Vehicle Design), Western Washington University; MS (Automotive Systems Engineering), University of Michigan.
YING LIN (2010) Associate Professor. BS, MS (Electrical Engineering), Harbin Institute of Technology; MS (Applied Statistics), PhD (Electrical Engineering), Syracuse University.
JOHN LUND (2013) Assistant Professor. BS, Washington State University; MS, PhD (Electrical Engineering), University of Washington.
JOHN MISASI (2015) Assistant Professor. BS (Plastics Engineering Technology), Western Washington University; PhD (Polymer Science and Engineering), University of Southern Mississippi.
JASON A. MORRIS (2004) Professor. BS (Mechanical Engineering), West Virginia University; Master’s of Industrial Design, Pratt Institute.
TODD MORTON (1988) Professor. BS, MS (Electrical Engineering), University of Washington.
ARUNAS P. OSLAPAS (1991) Professor. BFA, Montana State University; MFA, University of Illinois.
MARK PEYRON (2014) Assistant Professor. BS (Chemical Engineering), University of Idaho; PhD (Chemical Engineering), University of Washington.
DAVID RIDER (2010) Assistant Professor. BS (Chemistry), Simon Fraser University; PhD (Chemistry), University of Toronto. Joint appointment with Chemistry Dept.
DEREK M. YIP-HOI (2007) Associate Professor. BS (Mechanical Engineering), University of the West Indies; MS (Mechanical Engineering), State University of New York-Buffalo; PhD (Mechanical Engineering), University of Michigan.

Instructors

PAUL D. KEARSLEY (2012). BS (Industrial Design), Western Washington University.
INDLE G. KING (1987) BA, MA, University of Washington.
ANDREW NEUMAN (2015) BS, (Industrial Technology – Vehicle Design), Western Washington University.
STEPHEN R. SAMMS (2013) BS, MS, PhD (Chemical Engineering), Case Western Reserve University.
STEPHEN D. SANDELIN (2012) BS (Electrical Engineering), Washington State University.
NATHAN SLESINGER (2012) BS (Plastics Engineering Technology), Western Washington University; MS (Materials Engineering), The University of British Columbia.

Other Departmental Information

Advising and Declaration of Major

Students who intend to complete one of the majors should immediately obtain advisement from the department program coordinator/pre-major advisor to declare their pre-major and plan a program of study. Because Engineering & Design programs require long course sequences with strong prerequisite structures, both freshmen and transfer students should begin their studies within the department in their first year at Western. Students should start immediately fulfilling the math and science requirements of the program. The pre-major advisor/program coordinator for this department is located in ET 204, 360-650-4132.

Vehicle Design Post-Baccalaureate

A post-baccalaureate professional development certificate program in vehicle design is offered for students who already have an undergraduate degree in engineering. The three quarter lockstep program begins fall quarter, is self-supporting and has a different tuition rate. Students interested in the post-baccalaureate program need to be referred by the program director of the Industrial Technology - Vehicle Design program. Upon referral, students should complete the Extension Undergraduate Application. Extension admission and registration information is available from Extended Education , 360-650-3308.

Academic Standards

Students are required to follow all prerequisite requirements for courses and seek early departmental advisement. A grade of C- or higher is required to pass all engineering and design program requirements and all prerequisites for those courses. Students are required to drop any major class if they receive a K grade or a D+ or lower grade in the prerequisite class.

Students may request a program course exception (any grade lower than a C- in a required program course is always considered a program exception). To make a request, a student must submit an Exception Request Form for consideration by the Engineering and Design Curriculum Committee. The form can be found in the student resources section of the Engineering and Design Department website cse.wwu.edu/engd. In the exception request, a student must clearly and thoroughly state their request and provide a detailed explanation why the exception is being requested and why it is appropriate. The form is then submitted to their department faculty advisor who must add their comments and recommendation before forwarding the form to the committee. Students should expect that the Curriculum Committee will need ample time to consider the request; deadlines are listed on the form.

Programs

Undergraduate Major

Undergraduate Minor

Certification

Vehicle Design Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program