USC Aiken's Engineers Experience Engineering in Action

Aiken, SC (03/24/2020) — On March 6, members of the newly formed Engineering Student Association at the University of South Carolina Aiken took an enlightening tour of the MTU facility in Graniteville, which is part of the Rolls-Royce Group.

"We got to experience what real engineers see and do every day," said Daniel Nwachukwu, president of the ESA.

"The visit gave students a deeper appreciation for the concepts they learn in class because we were able to see firsthand how these practices affect production and customer service."

Nwachukwu says that visiting industry leaders is very important because it provides opportunities for students to network with potential employers and build connections with the local industry that might lead to future employment.

Leaders at MTU agree with the junior industrial process engineering major. Both he and the professional engineers want to inspire students to think ahead into the future and really understand the big picture as to why they are taking the classes assigned.

"Partnering with schools and showing students what the 'real world' is like is key for students to understand how it connects with, yet is also different from, what they learn in classes," said Steve Blaszczak; senior manager, Manufacturing Engineering; MTU America Inc.

"As a company, we are able to help the school and students better prepare for the needs of the workplace, which ultimately benefits us and them."

Students, like Nwachukwu, are grateful to Blaszczak and the other leaders at MTU for inviting the USC Aiken Engineering Student Association to tour the facility and for giving them a "glimpse into the modern engineering industry in this area."

"We are so grateful to MTU and Rolls-Royce for their leadership and investing time in our students," said Dr. Chad Leverette, interim dean of the College of Sciences and Engineering.

"MTU America, as part of Rolls-Royce, is an exciting new industry partner for us. We are so thankful that they are helping us provide professional experience for our students. There is no better way to see engineering in action than to tour a manufacturing facility and ask questions of engineers practicing their discipline.

"We are grateful for this opportunity for our students. We plan for these types of plant tours to become routine each year for our engineering students," Leverette added.

The Engineering Student Association aims to bring engineering students of all levels together to benefit from the association of their peers while keeping students excited about engineering, Nwachukwu said.

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