College Hosts Night for Engineering Students

Engineering students who are considering a four-year degree in electrical or mechanical engineering can attend a Night of Engineering on March 6 at the College of Southern Maryland‘s La Plata Campus.

CSM has the Night of Engineering each semester to tell students how they can achieve a four-year engineering degree in Southern Maryland by completing their first two years of college at CSM and then transferring to the University of Maryland A. James Clark School of Engineering, with classes located at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, to finish their final two years of studies.

The opportunity is open because CSM is part of the Southern Maryland Engineering Partnership, which includes the Naval Air Warfare Center and the University of Maryland at College Park.

“Night of Engineering is an opportunity to get information about our mechanical and electrical engineering partnerships with the University of Maryland College Park and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Patuxent River Naval Air Station,” said Pre-Engineering Coordinator Jehnell Linkins. “Many students don’t realize that we have a program in place that allows them to take all required classes in Southern Maryland at CSM and at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center in California.”

CSM alumna Kristina Babinski of Pomfret can attest to the effectiveness of the college’s program. Looking to leave her culinary career and pursue something different, Ms. Babinski attended the Night of Engineering in 2016 and knew she was ready to start at the college and on an engineering career.

Ms. Babinski was able to reap the benefits of pursuing a STEM-related education at CSM after she graduated last spring with her associate degree in electrical engineering. When she graduated, she was given half a dozen chances to expand her professional experience after she was offered six internships from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, US Department of Defense (Army), US Navy Naval Air Systems Command, Maryland Space Grant Consortium, Federal Communications Commission, and the Federal Aviation Administration. And that was after spending summer 2015 interning with the University of Maryland’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Site along with two other CSM engineering students.

Proximity to nearby military and federal agencies also played a role in CSM recently receiving a nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to provide 96 new scholarships to students attending CSM to study in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematic. CSM Mathematics Professor Sandra Poinsett, who was the lead on the grant request submission, said CSM’s campuses are “located at the epicenter of military and federal government installations supported by thousands of private sector contractors and suppliers.”

Exelon Generation, Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, military installations, Dominion Power, and other energy companies are also working with CSM to grow a workforce of engineers and technicians.

The March 6 Night of Engineering will be held from 6 to 7:30 pm at CSM’s La Plata Campus in the Center for Business and Industry (BI Building). Online RSVP is requested.

For information on engineering studies at CSM, visit the college’s engineering site, or email Linkins at [email protected].

For more about the College of Southern Maryland, visit its Leader member page.