November 2009 - College of Engineering and Computing ...

momentum
is published by the Development
and Alumni Office of the College
of Engineering and Computing
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208.
http://www.cec.sc.edu
Harry J. Ploehn, Interim Dean
Debbye Wells, Senior Director
of Development
Kathy Dowell, Guest Editor
Cyndy Buckhaults, Designer
new engineering
science degree offered
This fall, the College of Engineering and
Computing introduced its newest degree
program, a Bachelor of Science in Engineering
with a major in Engineering
Science. The new program complements the
College’s discipline-specific programs with
a curriculum that is flexible and adaptable to
the student’s interest and aspirations.
The program includes basic foundation
courses in mathematics and science; a core
of such traditional engineering courses as
statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, circuit
analysis and design, computer programming,
and chemical process analysis; as well
as important courses on professional development,
ethics, and project management.
The distinguishing feature of the program
is its 30 hours of engineering electives
and 15 hours of focus area electives that can
be in areas outside engineering. The technical
electives consist of five-course sequences
in each of two different disciplines. These
courses encourage the student to develop
a strong interdisciplinary program with
learning outcomes from several areas while
maintaining depth in selected areas.
The focus area electives complement the
student’s technical work and can be tailored
to better prepare the student, or to shorten
the time required to earn a graduate-level
professional degree in an area such as law,
education, business, or medicine by providing
prerequisite, background, and required
courses for those professional programs.
In some cases the student can begin their
graduate studies before completing their
undergraduate degree.
Work on the Engineering Science program
began two years ago, and the College
received final approval to offer the program
in May from the SC Commission on Higher
Education and the Southern Association
of Colleges and Schools. Twelve students
are enrolled; Dr. John Bowles is program
director. F
1 0 ▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲▲
Celebrating 100 years of Engineering
at the University of South Carolina
Just back from
a business
trip to China,
Bill Fox
readily described
his
job with
Shaw
Power in
Charlotte,
NC.
He is
overseeing
the engineering, procurement, and
construction of a new nuclear power plant
being built in Jenkinsville, SC, next to the
current operating unit, V.C. Summer.
“I joined Shaw Power’s Nuclear Division
about 18 months ago,” said Fox, the Fortune
500 company’s vice president and project director.
“Shaw is a partner with Westinghouse
in the building of nuclear power plants all
around the world, including those in China.
In the U.S., Shaw has responsibility for engineering
and procurement, and all of the
construction responsibilities. The technology
used in these new plants is called AP1000.
It’s a technology that the industry has been
working on for years to try to bring the next
generation of passive reactor design into the
commercial fleet.
“The job is a real opportunity for me,” he
non-profit
organization
u.s. postage
paid
permit #766
columbia, sc
alumni profile:
William a. “bill” fox, iii, pe
continued. “I’ve worked for a utility and for
an original equipment manufacturer, but I’ve
never been on the inside looking out, like I
am now.”
“It’s very exciting to be a part of the resurgence
of nuclear power, and to be a piece
of the nation’s energy strategy with nuclear
energy playing a key role,” he said.
A 1978 Civil Engineering graduate, Fox
has more than 30 years of experience in the
electric power generation and related industries,
primarily in utility and nuclear related
design engineering, licensing, procurement,
and construction. He has managed major
projects for new plant design/build programs
and handled major EPC modifications. He
also has performed original nuclear plant design
engineering, as well as fossil and nuclear
plant maintenance and modifications.
Citing the influence of such Civil Engineering
faculty members as richard Pool
and Jim radziminski, Fox is thankful for
his Carolina education. He visits the College
of Engineering and Computing as often
as he can to talk with faculty and students,
and to recruit for future employees. After
all, he knows the type of training the new
graduates have.
“I would say that what a lot of people
don’t realize is that the engineering college
curriculum is really training your brain,” he
said. “It is giving you a toolbox and a thought
process to create solutions. F
“It’s critical that we educate students
now to fill the need for
computer scientists and engineers
for tomorrow. It is because of this
that I have established the Storey
Scholars Fund. I have challenged
the college to raise $250,000 over
the next five years that I will match
dollar for dollar.”
Bert Storey, Class of 1951
PAGE 12 • noVEMBEr 2009 • momentum • college of engineering and computing • university of south carolina