The council meets twice a year and serves as a strategic forum where academic leaders and industry professionals collaborate to ensure the Engineering Technology degree remains relevant, hands-on and workforce ready.
Students joined faculty, deans and associate deans from each regional campus, and Dr. Eric Anderman – Ohio State’s newly appointed vice provost for regional campuses – for the half-day meeting. The gathering brought together representatives from top manufacturing and engineering employers such as Whirlpool, Axium, General Dynamics, the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association and Honda, alongside council members from education and workforce organizations.
“Our faculty and students benefit tremendously from direct engagement with industry,” said Sandra Soto-Cabán, PhD, associate professor of engineering technology at Ohio State Newark. “Hearing from employers helps us refine our curriculum, understand workforce expectations and – most importantly – inspire our students by showing them where this degree can take them.”
Council members provided key input on upcoming robotics courses, emphasizing the importance of exposing students to real-world technologies such as collaborative robots, extended automation systems and AI applications in robotics. Employers also affirmed the program’s “broadly based” approach as essential for building well-rounded engineers equipped to lead in high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environments.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but the hands-on nature of this degree helped everything click,” said one student during a discussion breakout.
The day concluded with a guided tour of Ariel Corporation’s manufacturing floor, where students observed real-world applications of robotics and process automation designed to improve safety, quality and productivity.
The Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology (BSET) is a four-year degree offered only at Ohio State regional campuses. It prepares students to lead in advanced manufacturing, with a focus on applied engineering, leadership, and systems integration. Advisory Council members meet twice a year to guide continuous program improvement and support student success through internships, mentorship, and career pathway development.