Small Engineering School Offers Big Advantages

Although the University of Mississippi Engineering School is small, students are drawn from a wide array of interests and given many opportunities to work with faculty and staff on community projects.

Annie Chapman, of Jackson, Miss, began at Ole Miss as a math major

“When I started classes I realized I liked physics as well as math, and I started talking to people in the civil engineering department,” Chapman said.

Chapman decided to stay on at Ole Miss for graduate school because, although the engineering sector is less affected by the nationwide economic downturn, having a master’s degree would give her an edge.

“I can choose my job, instead of taking the first job offer I get,” Chapman said.

Chapman is planning to get her PhD in civil engineering and become a professor. She focuses most of her graduate work on concrete.

“I’m interested in making things stronger,” Chapman said.

Cole Fowler, of Batesville, is also a graduate student at the engineering school and also did his undergraduate work at Ole Miss.

“My dad owns a construction company so I’ve grown up around construction. I’ve wanted to be an engineer since the eighth grade,” Fowler said.

Fowler plans on becoming a professional engineer and channeling his fascination for building materials into construction.

“I’ve always been around building supplies. So that’s what I like,” Fowler said.

The Ole Miss engineering school is small in comparison to other engineering schools, but has a long history and a low student to teacher ratio, of 12 students to one faculty member, according to Scott Kilpatrick, assistant to the dean. “The engineering school at Ole Miss is the oldest school of engineering in the state,” Kilpatrick said.

Fowler and Chapman agree that the small size is a plus. Everyone thinks we have a disadvantage, because we’re small, but being small gives us the advantage,” Chapman said.

“I like having the small, tight-knit atmosphere,” Fowler said.

Another advantage to the small size is the hands-on research and projects the students get to take part in.

According to Cristiane Surbeck, an assistant professor with the school, students can focus on anything from explosions to water pollution. “Students get involved with faculty projects with the federal government and the state,” Surbeck said.

Fowler and Chapman’s senior class helped to design a new community center in Abbeville, renovating an old high school and elementary school. The class separated into groups and each group submitted a design. Ultimately, one design was picked and used in the building of the center.

“We’ve gotten a lot of experience,” Chapman said.