Michael Moran '15 will be the first VWC student to earn his master's as part of the dual-degree engineering program offered in partnership with ODU
By Stephanie Smaglo | March 17, 2015
It’s an ordinary notebook. A well-worn green cover and a ream of ruled paper spiraled neatly into place. But inside, pages and pages of complex math problems—the kind that might make a right-brained person anxious—bend and shape to illustrate hours of hard work and determination. The notebook belongs to Virginia Wesleyan senior Michael Moran, the first student set to complete the College’s Engineering Dual-Degree Program offered in partnership with Old Dominion University.
Formalized in 2012, the program gives students the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor of Science from VWC and a master's degree from ODU in civil, environmental, mechanical, electrical, computer, or aerospace engineering in just five years. VWC students begin taking courses at ODU their junior year, and after graduation, they are automatically admitted to ODU’s 12-month Master of Engineering graduate program or their 18-month Master of Science in Engineering program.
“It’s a clear career path,” says Margaret Reese, the pre-engineering program adviser. “Especially for math majors. With math, there are a lot of options, but none of them are that obvious, so this helps. Having this program opens up that discussion.”
The program was developed in response to student requests, Reese says. Students, especially athletes, were attracted to VWC’s small size and top-notch athletics programs, but considered transferring due to the lack of an engineering program. The program was introduced at just the right time for Moran, a math major and studio art minor who plays lacrosse at VWC. He credits the sport with keeping him focused academically.
“Athletics keep you zoned in and on track,” says Moran, who will graduate from VWC in May and begin his master’s program in the fall. “I’m schedule based, and I like to get ahead of things. I feel like if I didn’t have that commitment I would procrastinate. That’s not the way to do it. You can’t just study for a test the night before; you have to do problems the whole semester and keep it going.”
With courses like “Multivariable Calculus,” “Probability,” “Statics,” and “Thermodynamics,” Moran has his work cut out for him. Having the opportunity to take courses at a larger institution, he says, has made him appreciate the student-teacher ratio and personal attention at VWC.
“I can go to my teacher and sit down with her, learn what I’m doing wrong,” he says, referencing Lydia Kennedy, Batten Associate Professor of Mathematics at VWC. “She’s the best teacher I’ve ever had by far. I couldn’t imagine being a math major at a larger school, because there’s just so much that you need one-on-one help with. If I didn’t have that, I’d be lost. I’d just be cramming for tests and wouldn’t be learning as much.”
Moran plans to complete his master’s in mechanical engineering and go into the design and manufacturing field. Ideally, he’d like to combine his love for math, art and athletics into a career with a lacrosse company, designing protective equipment and sticks. Before that, he plans to stay in the Coastal Virginia area to make his start in quality control at a manufacturing company or shipyard.
“I need to get my head in the door,” he says. “This is a great area for that, so I’m probably going to try to stay here for my first job. Once I do that, I think I’ll have the opportunity to look wherever I want. Engineers are needed everywhere.”
Moran offers simple advice to students considering the Engineering Dual-Degree Program.
“Just dive in. Start as early as you can, and try to get those prerequisites out of the way. You have to be determined for sure.”
Program advising is recommended as early as possible in a student’s freshman year. For more information, contact pre-engineering adviser Margaret Reese at 757.233.8752 or mreese@vwu.edu or visit the Engineering Dual-Degree Program webpage.