JBU's ABET Engineering Accreditation Renewed
The John Brown University engineering department recently received renewed accreditation through the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission. The JBU engineering department has been accredited by ABET since Oct. 1, 1995.
John Brown University is one of only 16 U.S. members and affiliates in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) that offers an ABET-accredited four-year engineering program. JBU’s program offers mechanical, electrical/computer and renewable energy concentrations and is currently the only four-year engineering program in the CCCU with a concentration in renewable energy.
“It’s affirming that outside accreditors recognize the quality and innovation of our program,” said Larry Bland, division chair of Engineering & Construction Management. “It is a testament to the excellence of our education and the momentum of our program.”
In the past 15 years, the engineering program has more than doubled, female enrollment has increased 150% and students have engineered and produced innovative, award-winning projects
JBU’s Eaglenaut Robotics team took home the 2015 NASA Innovation Award, despite being from the smallest university represented out of a total of 45 entries. Eaglenaut engineered a team of robots that work together to mine rocky material found on Mars.
Last spring, JBU engineering students received a grant form the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a prototype of a water filtration system. The system was designed to purify contaminated river water in Escuintla, Guatemala to benefit locals. Students presented their prototype in Washington D.C. at a national competition, learning how their skills can be used for service.
Many JBU engineering alumni have found jobs at top organizations in their fields. Ninety-one percent of 2015 graduates and 100 percent of 2014 graduates are attending graduate school or finding full-time employment — most within 1 month of graduation — with a median starting salary of $60,000.
Zachary Huffaker ’15 works for mission control at NASA Johnson Space Center performing real-time data analysis.
JBU alum Gunnar Shaffer ’14 majored in engineering with a concentration in renewable energy, and is working to complete his masters of science in Renewable Energy and Energy Storage at Universität Oldenburg, Germany. He works as a research assistant at the United Nations Environmental Programme in Geneva, Switzerland for his master’s thesis concerning electricity tariffs for cross-border trading in West Africa.
"It’s truly a blessing from God to be able to teach in a program with wonderful colleagues, dedicated students and a unique balance of theory and hands-on projects,” said Assistant Professor of Engineering Tim Gilmour. “And, every year I am honored to receive feedback from alumni who are deeply enjoying their engineering jobs.”
ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation which accredits college and university programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering and engineering technology. ABET accreditation recognizes programs that meet the standard of quality that prepares graduates to enter a global workforce.
John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Ranked No. 2 among Southern regional colleges by U.S. News, JBU enrolls more than 2,700 students from 42 states and 39 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, degree completion and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 50 majors, with top programs including business administration, graphic design, engineering, construction management, counseling, teacher education and nursing.
##30##
