By Claire Tremont, SoE Manager of Communications and Digital Strategy
Students of all backgrounds, ages and industries can discover possibilities and create a better future through the new University of Connecticut Center for Advanced Engineering Education.
The Center for Advanced Engineering Education (CAEE) offers top-tier teaching that’s relevant, accessible, interactive, convenient, and affordable.
The CAEE will delve into today’s most current and applicable engineering topics, like advanced manufacturing and data sciences, all while catering to varied audiences that aim to upskill, change careers, work more effectively, or pursue a new degree.
“Our commitment to offer and design innovative and flexible programming remains steadfast,” said Center Director Nora Sutton. “Not only do we serve an extensive student population, but we also work with industry to discover, design and deliver innovative educational training and upskilling programs.”
CAEE serves companies of all sizes that deliver engineering services or employ engineering talent. The Center is a resource for individuals and employers to help achieve growth and development.
The Center is an expansion of the UConn Engineering Professional Education program, which specialized in online and flexible learning for engineering professionals.
“Transitioning to the Center for Advanced Engineering Education more accurately reflects the current programmatic offerings, curriculum and enrollment as well as allows us to be consistent with similar peer institutions,” said UConn Engineering Assistant Dean for Administrative Operations and Strategic Initiatives Kylene Perras. “CAEE faculty and staff are pushing the boundaries for master’s level curricula and programming.”
CAEE will continue to offer the flagship MENG online degree program in 13 disciplines. The Center will also offer certificates, bootcamps and many other credit and non-credit options.
“The knowledge I’ve gained to date has helped broaden my overall knowledge and helped change my perspectives on my day-to-day tasks at my current job and continues to open up more opportunities for me” said current MENG student Matthew Labrecque. He is a Lead Customer Project Engineer at Unison Industries.
The Center has served a total of 1,989 students in both credit and non-credit programs over the last five years.
Many of the students are high-level industry experts.
Pratt & Whitney/RTX Engineering Vice President Matt Teicholz said his industry wins or loses based on the strength of his team, and UConn is one of their biggest sources in high-quality talent.
“New team members that come from UConn are well prepared, come with diverse experiences and strengths, and quickly add value to the Pratt & Whitney Engineering team,” Teicholz said. “And then once they get here, they can leverage our Employee Scholar Program to continually upskill and stay on a life-long learning journey with programs that CAEE offers.
“Pratt & Whitney and RTX have benefited greatly from our partnership over the past several years with the Center for Advanced Engineering Education,” he continued. “In particular, they are highly responsive to emerging professional education demands. The Center stays very close to industry and listens, tailoring or even creating new programs that focus on cutting edge technologies, techniques, and processes.”
An additional facet of the new center is the Excellence in Engineering Communication (EEC) program, an exclusive workforce development option offered through Associate Professor Rory McGloin.
Dr. McGloin teaches under the UConn College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and School of Business and will serve as the Program Director for EEC. He is also the Associate Director for Communication and Entrepreneurial Research at UConn’s Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and a visiting professor, School of Communication and Media at Ulster University.
EEC aims to provide comprehensive communication training, development, and support to empower and elevate the communication skills of various engineering communities, enabling them to effectively articulate their ideas, inspire others, and drive positive change in their respective fields and organizations.
“The EEC program recognizes that engineers have the intelligence and technical expertise that the field demands, but we also acknowledge that sometimes engineering professionals need additional skill development to help ensure their ideas and designs come to life, and we believe this starts with more effective communication,” McGloin said.
For more information on the Center, contact Center Director Nora Sutton at nora.sutton@uconn.edu or visit advancededucation.engineering.uconn.edu. The Center can also be reached at engrcaee@uconn.edu.
