The department of aerospace and mechanical engineering at Parks College has one of the finest undergraduate engineering programs in the nation according to a recent article in U.S. News and World Report. Parks department of aerospace and mechanical engineering is ranked fourth in the nation.
The ranking is not only based on academic reputation, but also the faculty.
“The faculty is the department. The department is made known through their interaction with faculty from other colleges and universities, their teachings and the research done,” said Charles Kirkpatrick, dean of Parks College.
The ranking is also based on many other criteria. The reputation of the aerospace department and Parks College is considered a strong factor in the ranking. Visits to the campus are a distinguishing plus that add to the University’s reputation. Many national and regional meetings are conducted on campus with faculty from the other schools.
One of the most important aspects is how the aerospace graduates of Parks College perform in the industry, which provides feedback directly to the community.
“The quality of our program is better than that of other colleges and universities offering an aerospace program. There are many contributing factors. One is that we have smaller class sizes than the larger universities. Therefore, more attention is given to each individual student. We also offer more hands on experience and training. Many other aerospace engineering programs design models, but rarely do they build and test their designs. This adds to each student’s education,” said Frank Coffey, aerospace technician.
Both Krishnaswamy Ravindra, department chair of aerospace and mechanical engineering, and Kirkpatrick believe that the students graduating from Parks College are well prepared for the industry.
The students are ready not only technically, but also due to the quality of education they have received. This is because Parks students can take advantage of the College of Arts and Science, through English, communications and philosophy courses.
Kirkpatrick would like to see an increase in labs, hands-on experience and faculty. With more faculty and technical support staff, there would be more accomplished and more to offer to the students.
Another plus for the aerospace and mechanical engineering department is the move from Cahokia, Ill. to St. Louis. The labs have been improved with new buildings, McDonnell Douglas Hall and Oliver Hall, as well as new equipment.
The number of incoming freshmen at Parks has more than doubled from 78 the last year at Cahokia to 205 this year. There are currently 191 students enrolled in the department of aerospace and mechanical engineering undergraduate program.
Another plus is the increase in the quality of the students attending Parks. For example, there has been a two-point increase in the average ACT scores.
“The student life is greater and more diverse on [Frost] campus than the other, which helps the students have a better social life with students from other departments,” said Kirkpatrick.
Aerospace is the oldest department at Parks and stands out from all the rest.
Parks College of Engineering and Aviation as a whole received a 33rd rank in the nation, according to U.S. News and World Report.
“It would not surprise me to see other engineering programs offered at Parks on the list down the road. They are rather new. However, they do have the same attributes and qualities that the Aerospace Department does,” stated Kirkpatrick.
