William Gibbs
Goal as Industry Advisor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Seattle University
My overarching goal as Industry Advisor is to make the threshold between the academic and the industrial/professional engineering environments less opaque in both directions. This goal will be achieved through a range of student-focused activities which map to the objectives of the SU RED grant, including on-campus Industry Advisor office hours, portfolio/resume assistance, facility tours, full- and mini-internships, student club advising, and more. I will continuously report inward from my current standpoint and prior experience in industry as a mechanical engineer and entrepreneur and, reciprocally, will report outward into industry the questions, concerns, challenges, trends, and opportunities arising in Seattle University mechanical engineering students and faculty.
My Experience in the Mechanical Engineering Program as a Student
Seattle University stood out among other options in my school search due to the small class sizes, the focus on social justice and the aim of helping form well-rounded but passionate individuals (not to mention the amazing campus in the beautiful city of Seattle). I was very fortunate to be able to attend SU and I found that the aspects I appreciated so much about the school at a high level translated fully through to the Mechanical Engineering department.
The Mechanical Engineering program helped me build a solid theoretical and analytical foundation as an engineer-in-training, upon which the high availability and care of the professors, as well as the access to great resources and tools within the department built a lasting framework of use-cases, scenarios, experiences and approaches I use as a practicing engineer to this day. I’ve seen the improvements made to the curriculum and facilities in the ten years since I graduated, and I hope to be a part of that continuing evolution through my role as Industry Advisor and other involvements I may enjoy in the future.