Page 42 - Engineering Career Guide, 4th Edition

In the real world, engineers often work in teams. Students do the same at engi- neering programs across the country. Teamwork teaches valuable communication skills and prepares students to face future challenges. Whether it’s community outreach and service, or developing super-fast racing cars, team projects offer students lots of exciting opportunities. Here are a few examples:
Building Partnerships
Research deals between companies and universities are at an all-time high. Companies seek access to the best scientific and engineering minds, and universities are happy to have funding
to provide students important real-world research experience. Argonne National Laboratories, for example, collaborates with numerous universities on research into energy, materials science, engineering, and more. A recent collaboration with professors
and students in the materials science and engineering department at the University of Wisconsin–Madison led to the invention of a unique tool to see how tiny crystals of new materials form and grow in real time. This unique method will help find materials useful for electronics, optics, and magnets—a definite win-win.
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Driving in the Super-Fast Lane
Every year, engineering students across the U.S. compete in Formula SAE race car design competitions at speedways in Lincoln, Neb., or Brooklyn, Mich. Each student team designs, builds, and tests a proto- type, following competition rules to ensure on-track safety (the students drive the cars) and promote clever problem-solving. Students are al- lowed to receive advice and feed- back from professional engineers and school faculty but must do all car design themselves. In 2023, the University of Illinois took first place in a competitive field of 120 teams. Over the past several years, the U of I team — made up of mechanical science and engineering students —has established itself as the top team in the country.
teamwork