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N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The Higher Learning Commission has now formally broadened the University of Jamestown’s accreditation to include mechanical engineering. Qualified pre-engineering students will be admitted into the major this summer.

The engineering program will be housed on the University of Jamestown campus in the historic Sorkness Center, the former home of the nursing program. Renovations to the building have already begun, featuring a new engineering computer lab and renovated physics lab. The computer lab has 25 new computers with 3D solid modeling software and software for computer programming, as well as a virtual reality station.

The first floor of Sorkness will house four additional labs, two of which are currently being renovated, one for material testing and one fluid mechanics lab.  Additionally, a new electronics lab and instrumentation lab will be added to the second floor.  Finally, a major building addition will feature a new senior design lab, which will include a machine shop.

“I think the mechanical engineering program at the University of Jamestown will offer a unique experience combining engineering courses with a liberal arts background,” said James Doane, Engineering Department Chair.

The program features small class sizes that allow for close interaction between students and faculty on a daily basis. While other programs focus solely on the technical side of engineering, the University of Jamestown’s engineering program is built within the University’s liberal arts tradition. As such, the University fosters an environment that broadly develops engineering students – allowing them to excel in the classroom and labs, as well grow skills in areas like communication and critical thinking.

Paul Olson, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College commented, “We have hired outstanding faculty members who not only have the technical skills necessary to be great engineering professors, but who are committed first and foremost to teaching our students.”

Department Chair James Doane earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Louisville in 2008.  From there, he gained nearly ten years of industry experience working in the fields of material handling and mining. He also taught at the University of Evansville and the Indiana Institute of Technology. Doane is the author of ‘Machine Analysis with Computer Applications,’ a textbook published by Wiley. Additional faculty members hired include Cherish Bauer-Reich and Mohammadhosein Baboly.

More information on the engineering program, and the application process, can be found at uj.edu.