Andrew Bell, the Engineering department chair at Ivy Tech Community College’s Fort Wayne Campus, will be published in a book celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Advanced Technological Education Program, which provides education in high-technology fields and is funded by the National Science Foundation. Bell’s was one of 24 projects selected for inclusion in the book, which highlights projects from around the country.
In 2014, Bell received a grant to develop curriculum for a microelectromechanical certificate and a LabVIEW certificate. Last summer, the Fort Wayne Campus offered three microelectromechanical classes, which included LabVIEW curriculum as well. Microelectromechanical systems deal with electromechanical sensors, such as those used to detect when a tablet or cell phone is turned horizontal to vertical—or vice versa—and the tire pressure in vehicles. The LabVIEW (laboratory virtual instrument engineering workbench) curriculum focuses on visual programming language software designed for engineers and scientists. Visual programing language is any language that lets users create programs by manipulating elements graphically instead of textually. LabVIEW is specifically developed by National Instruments, a Texas-based company that produces automated text equipment and virtual instrumentation software.
The Advanced Technological Education book accepted nominations, which requested details such as how the project benefited students, faculty, industry partners, or the nominee’s institution; evidence of the project’s importance; and photos that show the project’s impact.
Six students took the microelectromechanical classes in summer 2017, Bell says, and the classes helped and will help those students earn their technical certificate in Electronics and Computer Technology. Plus, students who pass the National Instruments certification test can include the Level 1 certification on their resume.
“This will help our students get a job,” Bell says.
Inside Ivy Tech 