Hi Jeff... " and built a facility at the school that is un-matched in the state."
I have to take issue with that statement. I get around to a lot of schools in my work and yours is un-matched in many states! Cheers! Tom Holmes, N8ZM -----Original Message----- From: time-nuts [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Jeff Kruth via time-nuts Sent: Monday, November 16, 2015 10:56 AM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [time-nuts] Modern College Education for Electronics - Cubesats - Real world training Hi Guys! I have been watching this thread. And I have some comments on what I have read. I teach at the undergrad & grad level in the Space Science Center at Morehead State University. We have a Space Systems Engineering Degree track, BS & MS. Couldnt call it EE as UK has an EE program, dup not allowed in state system. Our students build a lot, do a lot of labs, learn RF, mechatronics, microprocessors, satellites. They learn Solidworks and Altium, do designs of PCBs and H/W. We have a new 21 meter dish that they learn to drive and we track satellites for NASA and others. We have built 7 cubesat systems and had them launched. Our kids actually build the satellites. For some things like solar cell mounting, we have a "model-maker" quality staff guy do that, but otherwise the students are at least waist deep in everything else. We hire some undergrads and they work closely with staff. We have them use spec ans,, network analyzers, the anechoic chamber, the CNC machine shop, the 3D printers for mechanical verification, etc. We have a complete "shake & bake" qual lab here with vacuum chamber, etc. We are a one stop shop for cubesat satellite design and development. (Bob Twiggs, the cubesat co-inventor, works here!) I run the Undergrad and Masters thesis classes and make my student run their project as though it was an industry job, complete with a lot of writing like proposals, PDR,CDR, final report, budget, timeline, etc. They learn "the process" and I have gotten excellent feedback on this over my 20 year teaching stint on the usefulness of this approach. We have a good sized staff of older guys, like me, mostly in "retirement" (2nd job) mode, who are basically training their replacement in the work force. All the older skills and the newer ones as well are used. A deadbug breadboard saves a lot of time in validating a design, but SMT stuff is tough to do so we use modelling and PCB constructuion as well, both approaches are useful & applicable. Currently we are the prime on the LunarIceCube bird slated for launch in 2018 looking for lunar water transport mechanisms. We are working with Goddard & JPL. Students are heavily involved and get a lot of exposure. We have all who will bite at it get there ham ticket. The USA is in a lot of trouble as far as competent engineers goes, with the graying of the workforce. Over 80 % of the RF engineers in the USA are 45 or older (I know, I am one of them and track the numbers). Software apps for your I-phone will not move us ahead in the world, things still need built and tested in labs. What good is your wireless handheld thingy without the RF part?? Most schools do not have the facilities we have. In my case, I brought over 15 tractor trailer loads of RF gear and lab from my Maryland R&D business here to Kentucky (because I am crazy, that's why!) and built a facility at the school that is un-matched in the state. C-beams, multiple 8566B, 8510C vnas, etc. We do stuff, our students "see" stuff and we have paced people at some prestigious organizations. Goldstone wants some of our people for the DSN. Anyway, the point is, there are a few places that blend "old-school" with state-of-the-art techniques to produce solid fresh-outs that can think with their hands and head. This is our goal. About 1/3 of our undergrad class is women! And some of them absolutely love this stuff, eat it up! There is hopand not all schools are the same. Regards, Jeff Kruth, WA3ZKR Staff Electrical Engineer and Instructor Space Science Center Morehead State University Morehead, KY _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there. _______________________________________________ time-nuts mailing list -- [email protected] To unsubscribe, go to https://www.febo.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/time-nuts and follow the instructions there.
