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Excellence and Expertise

CEC Wrap-Up: September 2024

A photo and video recap of the first month of Fall semester at the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC).

Excellence and Expertise

CEC Wrap-Up: September 2024

In CEC 111, first-year students test the structures they constructed collaboratively. Video by Jayson Morris, CEC Communications Associate.

It’s been a busy start to the Fall semester for our students, faculty and staff here at the College of Engineering and Computing (CEC). Below are just some of the events, accomplishments, and celebrations we’ve experienced this month. 

Welcoming an incredible new class

CEC was thrilled to welcome a highly impressive class of first-year students this year. This year’s incoming first-year class arrived with an average 3.9 GPA and includes two Presidential Fellows and the highest percentage of Honors College students across all Miami University academic divisions. 24% of our incoming first-year class are Honors College students, and 20.2% are first-generation college students!

This year’s first-year class is also the first to experience the First-Year Experience Lab, a dedicated 3,800 square foot space intentionally designed for CEC 111 and 112, Signature Inquiry courses which CEC students take as part of The Miami Plan. Learning experiences in this lab introduce CEC students to collaborative engineering and computing problem-solving methods while also sparking new connections and community for our incoming first-years.

Party on the patio

This year’s Party on the Patio was a tremendous success thanks to the participation of all the students, faculty, staff, and student organization leadership who took part. At the Party on the Patio, students got the chance to interact with CEC student organizations, learn about activities to get involved in, and of course enjoy some pizza and music on a beautiful afternoon outdoors. 

STEM Career Fair

On September 19, CEC students had the chance to show off their professionalism and networking skills at the annual STEM Career Fair at Millett Hall. Nearly 100 employers were present to meet with our students, set up job interviews, and make connections in growing industries within engineering and computing fields.

State of the University

CEC accomplishments and celebrations were featured prominently in President Crawford’s annual State of the University address this month, which this year was titled "Leadership in Action." Explore the links below to hear President Crawford’s remarks about each CEC community member featured.

  • Sam Hieken '24 (Undergraduate student, Computer Science) was highlighted for the “Who did I elect?” voter information database he created.
  • Mark Scott (associate professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering) was highlighted for being named to the 2024 Class of Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors.
  • Mark Sidebottom (associate professor of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering) was highlighted for his role in the Sensemaking project at the Howe Writing Center.
  • Chi-Hao Cheng (professor and Chair, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering) was highlighted for his team's role in securing a $845,000 grant supporting 5G in Southwest Ohio.
  • Jason Berberich (associate professor of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering) was highlighted for a $331,000 NSF Grant his team secured in August 2023.
  • Evan Fix '17 (Alumnus, Computer Science) was highlighted for being named one of the Forbes 30 under 30 for Cincinnati.
  • Brian Niccol '96 (Alumnus, Engineering Management) was highlighted for his role as incoming CEO of Starbucks.

CEC Student, faculty, and staff news

We’ve had plenty of news to share this month as our students, faculty, and staff continue to bring excellence to campus. Explore the links below for CEC news this month.

U.S. News & World Report ranking

What better way to wrap up the first month of the Fall semester than with a top ranking in the U.S. News & World Report list of the Best Colleges for 2025? Miami University’s College of Engineering and Computing was ranked the #4 National Public Undergraduate Engineering Program - No Doctorate (Excluding Military Institutions). This came alongside news that our CEC Computer Science program is also nationally ranked, and Miami University as a whole is ranked as the No. 3 public school in the category of Undergraduate Teaching.

That’s a wrap for September! Thanks for reading. We can’t wait to celebrate more events, announcements, and accomplishments as the Fall 2024 semester continues at the College of Engineering and Computing.