LSU College of Engineering Delivers Multidisciplinary Robotics Minor Fall 2015

02/25/2015

Robotics is no longer the technology of the future, it’s the technology of today. This growing science plays a critical role in the military, space exploration, construction, medicine, health care, and service industries.

With the recent growth of the field, the demand for qualified roboticists is expected to increase in the coming years. These professionals will not only need to be highly knowledgeable, but they must also be able to integrate different academic disciplines and effectively work with personnel from other technical fields.

That’s where the LSU College of Engineering comes in. “The seed for this program was planted by Mechanical Engineering alumnus, Mr. Norman Deumite,” said Marcio de Queiroz, LSU Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering professor and Robotics Minor program coordinator.

“About two years ago, he [Deumite] began urging us to develop a robotics program since it’s a technology that will soon become ubiquitous in our everyday lives. He believed it was imperative for LSU to have a footprint in this growing field,” de Queiroz added.

With support of the College’s leadership, a minor program was developed with faculty involvement from Electrical & Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Computer Science, and Kinesiology.

LSU’s Robotics Minor aims to provide a fundamental understanding of robotics to undergraduate students interested in pursuing careers or graduate degrees in the field. Students will be exposed to a truly multidisciplinary educational experience, making them highly marketable in today’s dynamic workplace.

“What makes this minor unique is that it’s the only minor that is college-wide and not ‘owned’ by a single department. That is, because of the multidisciplinary nature of robotics, the minor curriculum draws its content from several academic units and expertise across the College as well as outside departments,” said de Queiroz.

The first robotics courses at LSU will be offered in fall 2015. Initial enrollment in the minor program is limited to 20 students. Contact Dr. Marcio de Queiroz at mdeque1@lsu.edu for information about the curriculum and course requirements. To declare a minor in robotics, students must meet with Dr. de Queiroz before contacting Student Services.

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Article by Laura Juengling, assistant manager of digital marketing, LSU College of Engineering.