For the past few years, rumors and ideas have been floating around about an engineering program that will be implemented at MSMS. After two years of contemplation and planning, MSMS physics teacher Jed Leggett announced that the engineering program will begin next fall.

Though the logistics are still being worked out, a variety of people are working together to ensure the engineering program is successful. These include Leggett, an engineering advisory committee, MSMS alumni and university faculty. Recently, MSMS held an open house for many of the local business leaders in attempt to receive more funding to finance the program. Though Leggett is unsure of what the exact classes will look like, he plans for the classes to be less lecture-based.  What’s more exciting is that the classes will not be mere “general information” classes but “project centered learning curriculum where much of the students’ time is spent working on various projects.”

Leggett stated that since his first year teaching physics at MSMS two years ago, several seniors showed interest in pursuing engineering in college. They took physics classes because they felt it was the closest thing to engineering at the time. One such student is class of 2014 Donaly Gunn who built a 3-D printer from scratch. Another student is Coby Anderson, class of 2015, who built several K’nex machines in Hooper lobby for students and faculty to enjoy. 

The engineering program is Leggett’s response to this “new age of invention and to the realization that all technology is becoming easily accessible.” Furthermore, he believes that “because of where we are with technology right now, it’s opening doors for people to do things that weren’t possible before.” The price of phones are decreasing, and with 3D printers, people are able to create any kinds of parts they need. Through the MSMS engineering program, Leggett hopes to involve programming, microcontrols, 3D printing, laser cutters and even more.

Overall, Leggett hopes that by implementing the hands-on engineering program at MSMS, “whatever fraction of our student body who are interested would have the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to build something cool.”