In this episode, we invited Dr. Girum Urgessa to the show to talk about ABET and discussing its significance in ensuring quality education in engineering and technology programs. In this episode we will also learn about the accreditation process, its impact on curriculum development, and how it benefits both institutions and students.

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Cast list:

Guest:

• Dr. Girum Urgessa is a Professor of Structural Engineering and Director of Student Leadership and Success in the College of Engineering and Computing at George Mason University. He is a Fellow of the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Before joining George Mason, Dr. Urgessa was a structural engineer at Weidlinger Associates (now Thornton Tomasetti) and Dekker/Perich/Sabatini. A passionate and award-winning teacher, he is the author of the popular FE-Civil Exam Practice Book. Dr. Urgessa is an ABET Civil Engineering Program Evaluator and a corresponding member of ASCE’s Committee on Accreditation. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Maryland.
• https://civil.gmu.edu/profiles/gurgessa
• https://www.amazon.com/FE-Civil-Practice-Questions-Detailed-Solutions/dp/1985675889

Hosts:

• Prof. Kim Lewis (host) is a Professor of Physics and Associate Dean of Research in the College of Arts and Sciences at Howard University.
• Prof. Pania Newell (host) is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Utah.

• Prof. Lucy Zhang (host) is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI)

Editing team:

• Music by RuthAnn Schallert-Wygal (schallert.wygal@gmail.com)
• Edited by Angella Chen
• Artwork is created using Canva (canva.com)