A massive 35-foot, stainless-steel water tunnel runs through the College of Engineering lab at the University of Georgia (UGA). It weighs 20 tonnes and holds 2,800 gallons of water, and is used to test submerged structures at high-speed flow.
UGA’s water tunnel is the brainchild of professor Ben Davis, who was inspired by his work on rocket engine materials at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center.
“By improving our understanding of the way that the fluid interacts with the structure, we can leverage that interaction to do useful things, or we can use our knowledge of that interaction to avoid failure,” he explained.
This “monster” tunnel allows graduate students like Haynes Curtis to test new creations in moving water. Together, professor Davis’ team is discovering novel ways to build lighter rockets and energy-efficient marine vehicles, as well as generate electricity.
Exciting as this is, it barely scratches the surface of the game-changing engineering research going on at UGA.
The College of Engineering is a young but rapidly-growing department at one of the oldest universities in the US. Here, you will find world-class engineering programmes supported by a knowledgeable faculty, cutting-edge facilities, and an interdisciplinary research culture.
Graduate programmes for innovators
The College consists of the School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering; the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering; and the School of Environmental, Civil, Agricultural and Mechanical Engineering.
Together, they offer 15 undergraduate and graduate degree programmes. You can pursue a Master of Science in several key engineering areas, such as agricultural, biochemical, electrical, computer, as well as civil and environmental engineering.
Whether your training is broad or focused, you can count on working closely with your lecturers, adviser, and peers to tackle multi-scale problems beyond the bounds of traditional engineering disciplines. After all, the world requires engineering experts who can provide innovative solutions based on a multidisciplinary approach.
Besides that, there are dual engineering degrees in which you can concurrently learn German or obtain an MBA. Students can also earn their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years or less under the Double Dawgs programme.
Graduate students are attracted to the opportunities at UGA to cultivate real-world skills through transformative research and under professional guidance.
Many then choose to level up with a Doctor of Philosophy, where they are groomed to become future leaders in industry, government, or academe. PhD in Engineering candidates can choose from 12 emphasis options; each equips them to address 21st-century issues by developing keen insights and creative problem-solving skills.
Create change through research that matters to you
All pursuits at UGA’s College of Engineering are guided by a robust interdisciplinary approach, particularly in new materials, medical, and resilient infrastructure research.
More importantly, graduate students have the opportunity to craft an experience focusing on research that is important to them. How is this done? For one, they work closely with faculty members, who themselves are working on research that is close to heart.
Besides the thermodynamic research made possible by UGA’s water tunnel, several other research projects promise great innovation from the college’s brightest minds.
At the college’s Athens campus, UGA scientists are using robots and drones to accelerate plant genetic research. These all-terrain rovers and unmanned aerial drones will quickly and accurately gather and analyse data on the physical characteristics of crops, addressing a major bottleneck that’s holding up plant genetics research.
Then there’s the photonics work of award-winning engineering professor Mable Fok, which seeks to maximise the use of radio frequencies in this digital age.
“Neuroscientists know how the glass knifefish adjusts its frequency to avoid jamming. We want to borrow that neural algorithm and add it to our communication system to allow for more flexibility in how our resources are used,” she explained.
Discover your future at the College of Engineering
UGA is one of the top public universities in the US, with a long legacy of excellence that has birthed many brilliant innovators and industry leaders.
The breadth and depth of research at the College of Engineering offers opportunities for interdisciplinary and collaborative research, which maximises the impact of engineers well beyond their time at graduate school.
So whether you are looking to upgrade your qualifications with a master’s degree or zero in on your career with a PhD, UGA’s College of Engineering offers the right mix for postgraduate growth and success.
As the world looks to budding engineers to build a better future, this university promises to provide the right facilities, faculty, and friends on their journey.
Engineers, an opportunity is knocking on your door — how will you answer?