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Graduating Professionals for 50 Years: Engineering at St. Mary's

by Bahman Rezaie, Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Engineering


When the first graduates of the St. Mary’s engineering program were inducted into the Heritage Club during Homecoming Weekend this past spring, the Department of Engineering marked 50 years of providing high quality engineering education at the University and to the San Antonio community and beyond.

Thoughts of creating an engineering program at St. Mary’s date back to 1928, when the University’s leadership was exploring ways to contribute to the economic development of the greater San Antonio area. In collaboration with public officials, the Marianists concluded that the creation of an engineering program at St. Mary’s would help to supply the city with a technically skilled labor force. In the spirit of service to the community and the desire to contribute to San Antonio’s development, St. Mary’s decided to extend into professional programs and, in the late 1950s, to expand its professional degree offerings by creating an engineering program that would provide local companies with competent graduates, whose training integrated a strong liberal arts foundation with current and relevant technical knowledge and skills in engineering.

Ozan forges engineering education at St. Mary ’s

In 1958, Turgut Ozan, Ph.D., with a newly minted doctorate, was hired with the charge to start an industrial engineering program. Ozan was the only full-time faculty member in the early undergraduate program, but he quickly hired highly qualified faculty from Southwest Research Institute, beginning his tradition of high standards in the department. Stories and memories from early engineering graduates reveal an obvious fondness of Ozan. They are especially appreciative of his dedication to his students and his profession, and the positive influence he has had on their lives as a lifelong adviser and mentor.

Ozan’s former students often attribute their professional success to his guidance long after graduation. They aren’t surprised to hear that, at age 92, Ozan still frequents the department to interact with faculty and students. He laid the foundation for all the successes that the department has enjoyed during the past 50 years, and his culture of teaching excellence is carried on today by the next generation of St. Mary’s engineering faculty. Several years ago, the University created an engineering scholarship endowment in the name of Ozan as a testament to his service and dedication, and, through contributions from alumni and engineering faculty, the first Turgut Ozan Scholarship will be awarded to an incoming freshman this fall.

Programs Prepare Graduates For the Workplace

From its modest beginnings 50 years ago, the Department of Engineering has grown to offer six vibrant undergraduate programs. Since its first, industrial engineering, the department has added computer engineering, electrical engineering, software engineering, engineering systems management, and engineering science, plus five master’s degrees. While the industrial and electrical programs were the first in San Antonio to be accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in the early 1980s, computer engineering has since been accredited as well.

Many of our graduates further their education at prominent universities such as Georgia Tech, Purdue, Notre Dame, Rice, Stanford, and the University of Texas at Austin. And they are well prepared, completing their graduate programs with flying colors. Those who opt to join the workforce are also successful, reporting that the education they received has served them well in their careers. They attribute their success to the exemplary teaching and mentoring they received from our faculty, and to the balanced curriculum that integrates their professional studies with the liberal arts.

The engineering faculty utilizes its personal contacts in industry and an extensive alumni network to place students in summer internships or at local companies while they work on their senior projects. This allows them to gain practical experience in their areas of study and become familiar with workforce expectations and demands.

A teacher is only as good as his student, and when that teacher has imbued his student with the thirst to [succeed], then he hasn’t given the world another engineer, he’s given it the future.

Brian Serrato (B.S. '11)

Design Projects Impact Energy, Efficency

ll students are required to complete a yearlong senior design project that serves as the capstone for their education. The project is intended to instill a thorough understanding of the engineering design process, including writing a project proposal, defining system requirements and objectives, designing a solution, implementing the design, and troubleshooting the system. Industry-University cooperation on senior design projects is highly encouraged and, often, students find meaningful projects with companies that hosted their internships.

During their final semester, students deliver formal oral presentations and demonstrations of their design. Each project is evaluated by all faculty members in the program, in addition to a panel of at least five professionals from industry.

This past May, the Department of Engineering graduated its largest class ever, and its members’ senior design projects were often inspiring. Electrical engineering students Nathan Churchwell, Stephanie Crowell and Supratim Srinivasan, in collaboration with alumni-owned Corbo Electric, designed and implemented the “1.48 kW Solar Trailer with a Single Axis Sun Tracker.” The team created a mobile power station capable of powering a full line of communication systems in the event of loss of power in an area. The power station was used at Fiesta Oyster Bake in 2010, helping promote San Antonio’s goal of a green Fiesta.

Another team, industrial engineering students Roberto Fierro, Rodolfo Ramirez, Esmerelda McKinney and Guy Rutten, produced the “Optimization for the Brush and Bulk Collection for the City of San Antonio,” applying the techniques of operations research, simulation, ergonomics, and cost benefit analysis to achieve a million dollar yearly savings for San Antonio. City officials have embraced parts of their solution, and the students’ efforts resulted in a feature article in the San Antonio Express-News.

Fulfilling St.Mary's Mission

The most important work the Department of Engineering carries out is helping our students master the knowledge and skills necessary to become thriving and successful professionals, and encouraging their efforts to practice their profession in ways that will make society better. It is our mission as an institution; it is Turgut Ozan’s legacy. For the first half century of engineering at St. Mary’s, we have been successful.