Throughout the academic year, Liberty University School of Engineering students are actively reaching out to the community to engage in service projects and corporate partnerships.
Starting in the fall semester, seniors work in groups for their capstone projects, lining up sponsorships from area businesses and engineering companies to create innovative designs with practical applications. In recent years, as the School of Engineering has grown, more and more connections have been made.
“Through the capstone program, we have built up some very good relationships with industry that will tremendously benefit our engineering students, as well as the industry, which will get more students doing quality work that they can hire for their company after graduation,” said Dr. Howie Fang, a professor and chair of both the civil and mechanical engineering departments. “It’s a win-win situation. We can have more impact for students if we bring real-world applications, real-world projects from industry and let students work with industry people directly in these projects.”
This year, the school offered 22 capstone projects to 97 engineering students with 18 projects from industry partners. Area businesses included Automated Conveyer Systems Inc., Centra, Delta Star, Framatome, Harco Fittings, Lawrence Companies, and Master Engineers & Designers. Students also worked with multi-industry companies such as Textron, and government agencies like NAVAIR, who have provided funding for and benefited from students’ innovative capstone projects. Capstone teams involved students from all five of Liberty’s engineering programs: mechanical, electrical, computer, industrial & systems, and civil engineering.
IMPACT Club members work with students at the Jubilee Family Development Center in Lynchburg.
In the spring semester, the IMPACT (Inspiring Minds to Pursue Aspirations in Careers and Technology) student club began its partnership with the Jubilee Family Development Center in Lynchburg, where they teach and develop relationships with at-risk youth, mostly between the ages of 6-10, at its after-school STEM Center. (The university donated $25,000 to help construct the STEM Center, which opened in 2021 and offers academic tutoring and mentoring programs). The club has started a FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team there and hopes to form a FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team when the students reach middle school or high school age.
“Right now, we are introducing weekly challenges and different activities to get them to learn more about STEM and give them the confidence to be able to make their own creations using what they have learned,” said club president Darren Johnson, a rising senior studying mechanical engineering.
“Our goal is to go to the younger generation and help them become confident and get good careers and higher education in general, pushing them toward excellence,” added fellow senior Elizabeth Deml.
School of Engineering Lab Manager Marc Jantomaso, the club’s faculty advisor, said the greatest need in underserved communities is not more money or education but healthy relationships with people who are going to encourage them in the field.
“Building LEGOs is just a tool to sort of connect (club members) into their world,” Jantomaso said, noting that encouraging the kids to pursue their dreams as well as begin saving relationships with Jesus Christ is the primary focus of the club.
