WYOMISSING, Pa. — “Engineering Ahead has helped prepare me for the challenges to come at Penn State,” explained Nicolas Molignoni, a first-year student from Denver, Pennsylvania. “The online format has still allowed me to form relationships with other students and faculty before fall classes have even started. This program has made me ready and excited to be a part of the Penn State community.”
Penn State Berks is helping a future generation of engineering students to succeed through the college’s Engineering Ahead program. The goal of the four-week summer “bridge” program, which is being delivered remotely from June 28 to July 24, is to increase retention rates among a diverse group of engineering students by enhancing academic preparedness.
Ryan Hassler, Engineering Ahead coordinator and associate teaching professor of mathematics at Penn State Berks, explained the value of the program. “Engineering jobs are in very high demand, however there are not enough graduates to fill the need. The problem is two-fold: recruitment and retention. Only 1 to 2.5% of secondary students are interested in STEM subjects. Of the 60% of students who earn an engineering degree, only 12% are from underrepresented populations.”
Students from a variety of academic backgrounds come from the tri-state area (Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey) for apply for a seat in the free program. This year’s 22 student cohort plans to major in various disciplines, including aerospace, architectural, biomedical, civil, computer science, electro-mechanical and mechanical engineering.
Daily schedules include intensive math “boot camps” focused on pre-calculus, problem-solving exercises, facilitated tutoring sessions, faculty and external speaker presentations on a variety of topics, and discussion of the course textbook, "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. The program also covers such subjects as the scientific method, technology and career exploration.
Addie Douglas, Bronx, New York, plans to major in aerospace engineering. She stated, “I’m really glad I took this program because if not, I would have been blindsided walking into college. The purpose of this program is to strengthen our math skills to help us get on track and it did just that. It also is exposing us to great connections — to alumni and staff -- and giving us tips on how to do well in college.”
“The Engineering Ahead program gave me a glimpse into what a college course could look like. With the many speakers we've had — from current students to professors to successful alumni — it was a motivator and an eye-opener,” adds Jayden Haley, Enola, Pennsylvania
In addition to Hassler, the Engineering Ahead program team includes Dawn Pfeifer Reitz, assistant teaching professor of communication arts and sciences, and Sonia Delaquito, coordinator of the college’s learning center.