IME faculty and students recently provided an IME Open House for several high school students who have been accepted at WMU for the fall semester. All the students have either applied to an IME engineering or technology program or declared no engineering major.
A dozen IME faculty, led by Dr. Betsy Aller and Fred Sitkins and several WMU students who are enrolled in IME programs, answered questions from the high school students and their parents. “It was a fun, interactive day,” Aller said, “We want to encourage them to come to Western.”
Dr. Betsy Aller (center, facing camera), IME professor, and grad assistant Brian Sather discuss college life with Kim Harms and her parents, Nelson and Cheryl Harms from Kalamazoo
The event began with a pizza lunch which led to tours of several IME labs. IME professor Dr. Pavel Ikonomov led a project in the Fabrication Lab that enabled the visiting students to make a personalized metal object using the computer-controlled plasma cutting system. He also provided a hands-on demonstration of how machines can be controlled by virtual reality.
Brandon Spence (center), a senior in IME’s engineering graphics and design technology (EGR) program, discusses the plastics lab.
In the automotive lab, IME instructor Tom Sutton demonstrated how data on a new Ford Mustang is collected while the vehicle is being run on a chassis dynamometer. In the vehicle lab, James Plocinik, a senior in the engineering graphics technology program, presented the Sunseeker ’05, WMU’s solar car entry in the most recent North American Solar Challenge (NASC), a 2,500- mile race from Austin, Texas, to Calgary, Alberta, held two years ago.
In the plastics lab, Brian Sather led a team that demonstrated how plastic bags are made, and students vacuum formed a WMU license plate.
James Plocinik (center, facing camera), a senior in the IME’s engineering graphics and design technology program (EGR), discusses Sunseeker ’05, the WMU solar powered car and design award winner in 2005 NASC race.
The IME department offers four undergraduate programs – industrial engineering (IEN), engineering graphics and design technology (EGR), manufacturing engineering technology (MFT), and engineering management technology (UEM) – three master’s programs – industrial engineering (IEG), manufacturing engineering (MNE), engineering management (GEM) – and a Ph.D. in industrial engineering.
IME students who answered questions and served as tour guides included Lauren Lambert (EGR), Josh Leyrer (EGR), Madeline McAuley (EGR), Ryan Miller (MFT), James Plocinik (EGR), Courtney Rawlings (EGR), Brian Sather (MNE), Anthony Serge (MFT), Brandon Spence (EGR), Dan Switzer (EGR), and Jim Vlieg (EGR).
“I was very gratified to see the level of student support for this event,” Stikins said. “Our students always turn out to be our best ambassadors.”
Other IME faculty who participated included Paul Engelmann, Tycho Fredericks, Tarun Gupta, Mitchel Keil, Joe Petro, Sam Ramrattan, and Tom Swartz.
Carrying tokens of her visit to the IME Open House is Leslie Whitman (center), who came with her parents, Chuck and Sue Whitman from Augusta
Aller and Sitkins were pleased with the enthusiasm of the parents and students. “This was indeed a rewarding event for all,” Sitkins said.
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