With mechatronics, ETSU prepping students for workforce

East Tennessee State University will be launching its new mechatronics engineering program this fall, becoming the third university in Tennessee to offer this degree.

After two years of development and a $1.5 million investment, ETSU’s mechatronics engineering program aims to address the growing need for skilled professionals in the region’s manufacturing and technology sectors.

“Our students can graduate, can be educated here and work here after graduation,” said Dr. Keith Johnson, chair of ETSU’s Department of Engineering, Engineering Technology and Surveying. “Which is what they want; they don’t want to leave.”

Mechatronics, an interdisciplinary field, combines mechanical, electrical, control and computer engineering to create intelligent systems. Students in the program will gain expertise in robotics, automation, control systems, sensors, embedded systems and more.

The program has already garnered significant interest from both students and local industries, including Y-12 in Oak Ridge and Siemens in Johnson City.

Paul Sims, a professor in the department, highlighted the overwhelming student desire to stay in the Northeast Tennessee area for higher education.

“We’re a regional university and our responsibility is to serve the region – the students and the businesses – and I think both will benefit,” Sims said.

Both Johnson and Sims believe the mechatronics engineering program will help alleviate the shortage of engineering graduates in the workforce, not just in Tennessee but nationwide.

The program will seek accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology after the first graduate of the program.

“This program is a testament to ETSU’s commitment to innovation and community impact, offering students the opportunity to gain advanced skills while directly benefiting the regional industries that sustain our area economy,” said Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, ETSU provost and senior vice president for academics.

The first group of mechatronic engineering students will start classes this fall, and there is still time to apply.

Visit etsu.edu/bachelor/mechatronics.php/.

East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.