Students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering develop technical and leadership skills both in and out of the classroom. Here, students work on projects in the Knowledge Lab in Reber Building. Credit: Kate Myers/Penn State. All Rights Reserved.
Mechanical engineering takes steps to prepare students for modern job market
March 22, 2023
By Lauren Colvin
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The American Society of Mechanical Engineers published an article highlighting the importance of leadership skills for engineering students. In the article, Ryan Harne, the James F. Will career development associate professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State, mentioned the skill building resources available to students through the department of mechanical engineering.
Harne discussed a professional development course offered by the college – ME 390: Academic and Career Development for Mechanical Engineers. The half-credit course guides engineers tailoring their academic studies to best fit their career goals and covers topics such as personal branding, co-curricular and global experiences, business basics and post-graduation paths in both industry and continued education. A second course available to students, ME 490: Professional Development for Mechanical Engineers, builds upon students’ experiences in ME 390.
Harne emphasized the benefit of mentorship to leadership development.
“Surround yourself with leaders who take responsibility, express sincere empathy to their employees, understand the problems employees face day to day, help resolve conflict and cultivate the good of everyone around them,” Harne said in the article. “Those are the leaders who continue to have an impact.”
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