Dean’s Welcome

You might ask yourself, what is so special about being a Valpo Engineer? A Valpo engineer is not only technically skilled but also able to work well with others and wants to apply their skills to improve other people’s lives.  In short, they are eager to lead and serve society. Whether leading a multidisciplinary team for a small company, working overseas for a major international engineering firm, or starting their own company, a Valpo Engineer will always strive to solve the problems facing society today.
Valpo Engineers develop the practical, hands-on skills necessary to complement their science and math knowledge.  To help provide students with these skills, we have outstanding laboratory facilities including the Donald V. Fites Engineering Innovation Center, which houses our unique senior design space. The James S. Markiewicz Solar Energy Research Facility, operational since the summer of 2013, puts Valparaiso University on the cutting edge of solar energy research – research that is being conducted by both Valpo faculty and undergraduates. All of our facilities provide students with the essential hands-on education needed to solve the complex problems facing society today.

We also have dedicated faculty who are committed to undergraduate education and are leaders in their respective field. Their scholarly work provides undergraduate research opportunities in areas such as Solar Thermal Chemistry, Quantum Electronics, Bio-mechanics, 3D Visualization, and Geotechnical Engineering. Faculty members teach all of our courses and serve not only as educators but also mentors helping students realize the numerous career possibilities they have once they graduate.

On top of outstanding curricula in each of our programs, students have the opportunity to gain valuable experiences through experiential learning activities such as the WAVES (our humanitarian engineering student organization), Valpo Robotics, and Innovation Training at Disney Resorts. We are also one of the only universities in the nation to offer a Dale Carnegie training course to our students alongside their technical education.  These activities build leadership and communication skills and help our engineering students become more entrepreneurial and service-oriented. Our students are highly sought after by companies because they are more than technical specialists; they are excellent communicators and strong leaders.

I invite you to spend some time exploring our programs through these web pages to determine your path to becoming a Valpo Engineer.