By Selby Frame

University of Southern Maine

Location, location, location. It’s what realtors describe as the most important factor in buying a house. It’s also a major draw for students in the University of Southern Maine’s electrical engineering program. One of only two accredited undergraduate electrical engineering programs in Maine, it is located near two of the nation’s largest semiconductor companies Fairchild and National Semiconductor.

“We deliver the same curriculum that all major engineering programs do,” notes Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Carlos Luck, who chairs the department. “Yet our class sizes are smaller. As a result, you get greater interaction with the faculty. And our student co-op programs allow many students to learn and work on the job with local companies.”

David Sparrow, of South Portland, is a senior in USM’s electrical engineering program. He has worked as a co-op student at Fairchild Semiconductor since his freshman year, much longer than the usual six-month term.

“Co-ops can only help your chances of getting employment upon graduation,” he says. “Four out of the 10 people on my team at Fairchild are USM electrical engineering grads, and all of them were co-ops.”

At first, says Sparrow, “you’re not expected to generate much output. You come in, learn the job, put some of the fundamentals you learn in school into practice.” Over time, he has become a full-fledged member of one of Fairchild’s circuit-testing teams. “It’s a great program,” he says.

USM’s curriculum is a broad-based immersion in physics, chemistry, and mathematics, but there are opportunities to specialize, including digital systems, signal and image processing, robotics and controls, and microelectronics.

A computer engineering concentration has been developed for students with interest in the design and application of computer hardware and software systems, and a mechanical engineering degree program currently is in the planning stages.

USM’s program also offers an array of research opportunity for students, says Luck. “At larger schools, it’s somewhat unusual for undergraduate students to participate in research. Here, our students are co-authors with faculty on a number of articles published in engineering journals.”

One of USM’s hottest research areas is robotics and intelligence systems. “David Sparrow did his senior project using a mobile autonomous vehicle not unlike the Mars rover,” boasts Luck. “He worked on an algorithm that is part of the paradigms that deep space rovers require. Our students have been getting NASA fellowships for the past three years.”

Many other fellowship opportunities exist, says Luck, including three full scholarships recently awarded by National Semiconductor.

“The program is challenging for sure,” says Sparrow. “You need to have good math skills, good problem solving. But I find it really exciting. I like trying to figure out problems using logic structures. Problems that have real-world applications, as opposed to just theory.”

The real-world applications of the degree are encouraging, says Luck. “You hear about a jobless recovery, but that’s not true in every field. The economy is creating specialty jobs for those with higher skills and training. The bottom line is, education is the key. In Maine, jobs in engineering science and technology will continue to grow. And we hope to keep growing with them.”

USM’s School of Applied Science, Engineering, and Technology recently built a new learning factory for manufacturing technology and refurbished its electrical engineering laboratory. A new Advanced Technology Wing, currently under construction at the Gorham campus, will provide new classrooms and laboratories that support academic programs in mechanical engineering, computer engineering, environmental safety and health, digital design technology, electro-mechanical control technology, construction technology, and technology education.