Howard Payne University’s Division of Engineering has seen recent successes with several of its graduates and a current student. Recent graduates Ryan Robertson and Joseph Burcham have had exciting opportunities available immediately after graduating from HPU’s Engineering Science program. Additionally, senior Layton Pratt presented at the 15th International Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics Conference this summer in Nice, France.
According to Dr. Martin Mintchev, HPU professor of engineering and chair of the Division of Engineering, the division teaches based on the concept of experiential learning, in which the students are engaged in comprehensive projects from the very beginning of their studies. They usually complete a very sophisticated and innovative system engineering project by the end of their coursework. The projects often result in filing patent applications, presenting at leading conferences across the globe and publishing papers in engineering journals.
As an example of this approach, several students attended leading engineering conferences in Spain and in France over the last year. Last Spring, Burcham and Pratt presented functioning prototypes of their engineering projects on a local news station, KTAB. This experiential educational approach significantly enhances the resumes of HPU’s engineering graduates, allowing them to land prestigious jobs immediately upon graduation.
Robertson passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam with the Texas Association of Professional Engineers in Civil Engineering and is an Engineer-In-Training with plans to pursue a career in the US Navy as a commissioned officer for civil engineering.
“God brought me to Howard Payne and to the great people I met there during my studies,” said Robertson. “I am lucky to have had the privileges I enjoyed during my time there that aided me pursuing a field that helps others.”
Burcham was hired by Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd, Inc., a leading engineering company in Abilene, to start his tenure in professional engineering training.
“During my time at HPU, I developed a solid technical foundation, along with essential problem-solving skills and valuable teamwork experience,” said Burcham. “Alongside my internship, the environment and hands-on projects helped in preparing me for my role at Enprotec/Hibbs & Todd. Additionally, I developed effective communication skills that have proven essential in my professional career.”
Pratt, a double major in engineering science and the Guy D. Newman Honors Academy, has conducted research during his time at HPU on AuroraGuard, the first ever wearable disinfectant garment which can safely protect the wearer from harmful airborne viruses and bacteria. He was able to present his findings at the recent AHFE international conference in France and last summer, alongside Robertson, at the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) International Conference on Electrical, Computer, Communications and Mechatronics Engineering in Tenerife, Spain. He also had his paper published by the international journal “Healthcare and Medical Devices.” In addition, this year the team published another conference article in the proceeding of the prestigious 2024 IEEE International Conference on Microwaves, Communications, Antennas, Biomedical Engineering and Electronic Systems (COMCAS) held in Tel Aviv, Israel.
“I gave my presentation to a room full of individuals with their doctorates as an undergraduate student,” said Pratt. “I had several questions asked which showed me the crowd’s interest in my project.”
Dr. Mintchev has been encouraged by the successes of the students as they begin their careers and the international recognition they have received for their engineering research and development work.
“The Division of Engineering is committed to enhancing the experiential learning approach in engineering education, leading to developing advanced design skills in our students at the level of system engineering encompassing all aspects of engineering science, software engineering and biomedical engineering,” said Dr. Mintchev. “Our ABET-compliant programs prepare our graduates for immediate employment in the engineering industry or for pursuing graduate studies at master’s or Ph.D. level at the institutions of their choice.”
“The innovation elements of some of the projects and the intellectual property policy of the university also allows students to initiate start-up companies leading to engineering products that can enter the market directly,” he continued.
For more information the HPU Division of Engineering, visit https://www.hputx.edu/academics/schools/division-of-engineering/. Prospective students can also contact Dr. Martin Mintchev at [email protected] or 325-649-8141.