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 Involved & Making a Difference Why would a busy executive at one of the world’s largest high-technology companies log countless hours helping teach Senior Design at Oregon State? “Maybe I need my head examined,” jokes David Hackleman, COE alum (ECE, ’73) and retired Chief Technologist of the Technology Development Operation at Hewlett-Packard’s Corvallis operation. But Hackleman’s head is definitely in the right place, as are his heart and hands. He volunteers because he wants to help ensure that engineering students get a good dose of industry perspective before they enter the work force. “There are things I found I needed to know that I didn’t learn while in school,” Hackleman says. “OSU students need participation by those of us in industry in order to give them an advantage over graduates of other universities. This advantage has to come from local industry, as well as from others interested in the university’s success.” His participation at OSU benefits his company as well, Hackleman says. Not only can he query faculty with questions related to his HP work, but by working closely with students, he can also identify which students will fit well at his company upon graduation. Hackleman says the Senior Design class offers several unique opportunities for practicing engineers to help make a difference: • Be a guest lecturer, presenting real-world, industry-related topics often not covered in standard engineering curricula, but important to students’ success in the workplace. • Serve as a mentor for a project, helping a four student team take it from initial design to prototype. • Sponsor your own Senior Design project, offering a problem/idea and sponsoring the program as outlined by the ECE Department: http://www.ece.orst.edu/industry/index.html. As OSU continues to reach out and build deeper relationships with individuals
in industry, both OSU and the business community benefit. Teaching is
very challenging,” Hackleman says. “I feel I get back more
than I give. It’s exciting and interesting to learn from the students.” |
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