Easing the transition from academia to industry: the benefits of industry exposure for students and faculty

Abstract

This paper describes how, at the University of Maine (USA), the authors have coordinated an Industrial Assessment Center (sponsored through the Department of Energy). This program brings students and faculty together on interdisciplinary teams analyzing "real-world" problems in local industries. This experience is effectively the student's first engineering job, which eases the student's transition to industry. In addition, the students see the faculty not only as supervisors, but also as co-learners and team members. It is the opinion of the authors that a program involving industry, students, and faculty is beneficial to all involved parties, and that projects that provide the same benefits could be instituted at other schools without major financial commitment.