Dear fellow alumni and friends of the best mechanical and aerospace engineering department around,
We hope this note finds you well. We are writing to catch you up on the successes, growth, and priorities of our Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (MAE) department and how you can help to support it.
Successes
What a year last year was! Students launched a satellite into Space. Alumni have been involved with transformational successes in nearly every industry and domain. Our department graduated 281 undergraduate and 38 graduate students in academic year 2023-2024. OurAerospace Engineering program made significant strides, rising from 50th to 41st in the national rankings, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report. This October, our Academy added seven Academy members, bringing our total inducted membership to 248. And through members’ generous gifts, we were able to award ~$50,000 in scholarships and awards to students this past year. Our department is strong and continues to develop successful professionals.
Growth
A picture tells a thousand words … and far more than a thousand students! The MAE Department has seen unprecedented growth in student numbers over the past two years, with a record increase and a targeted growth of over 30% by 2030. While this growth signals a robust interest and demand for our programs, it simultaneously poses significant challenges, particularly in aligning our resources to effectively support this expansion.
Our aerospace program is a key challenge, with incoming student numbers this fall significantly stressing our current lab capacities. We must be able to accommodate all students in our existing lab setups without compromising the quality of our experiential learning. This situation underscores the need for expanded facilities and updated equipment.
It has been over a decade since our last significant upgrade to undergraduate labs. The faculty, tasked with securing cutting-edge research projects, and our students, who deserve a 21st-century learning environment, need future-ready facilities and technology..
We are on a positive trajectory with faculty growth, and we are also improving the representation of women within our ranks. It is essential we continue to attract but also retain diverse talent, to further enrich our academic environment and broaden our perspectives.
Priorities
With growth comes challenges for which our department has identified three priorities:
- Protect and improve experiential learning for students – Equipment upgrades must keep pace with student population growth and be ‘future ready’.
- Increase revenue and optimize expenses – Strengthen commercial communications and connections to create revenue opportunities while optimizing costs.
- Continue diversifying the faculty – Inspire women faculty candidates to select S&T as the faculty grows to support student growth.
How you can help
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is achieving new heights — literally — with the Satellite Research Team’s successful launch last March. And the future is just as bright. Thanks to alumni in the Academy of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineers, all alumni and friends can be part of our “Future Ready” matching funds campaign that will upgrade our most important experiential learning laboratories so that all students graduating from this department have as much relevant experience as possible to face the challenges of tomorrow.
With our gratitude,
Missouri S&T Academy of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineers Executive Committee