School of Engineering & Computational Sciences named top tech program

The Liberty University School of Engineering & Computational Sciences was recently presented the Technology Program of the Year award by the Lynchburg Regional Technology Council. The honor was given during the council’s annual TechEDGE Awards banquet last week, where regional and statewide leaders in business and technology join to celebrate outstanding innovators.

“I was completely taken by surprise as it was announced,” said David Donahoo, dean of the School of Engineering & Computational Sciences who attended the banquet along with six students. “I accepted the award, but the hard work to earn it came from each and every member of the school — the faculty, staff, and students.”

The Technology Program Award recognizes an educational institution or group of students in the greater Lynchburg area who have shown outstanding achievement in technology and innovation. The council considers programs that create solutions for technology problems, incorporate social innovation and entrepreneurship, or create new events to celebrate innovation.

Scott Pleasants, a council board member, recognized Liberty’s program as “one of the fastest growing and most successful programs in Virginia.”

“Their students have given more than 300,000 volunteer hours to STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) programs in the region,” Pleasants said. “They have been a launch pad for several IT startups, developing partnerships with global companies that are seeking a talented workforce with a well-established moral character.”

He noted the school’s partnership with the LU Army ROTC to provide a home to the U.S. Army’s Virtual Battlespace — a military simulator for scenario training, mission rehearsal, and more — for the past four years. Liberty was one of only six sites to house the product, which Pleasants said is helping cadets to excel as future military leaders. He also noted the school’s strides in providing services, assets, and personnel to help shape STEM initiatives in the region, such as its GenCyber and Engineering & Curiosity camps.

Earlier this year, Liberty purchased 28 acres in Bedford County’s New London Business and Technology Center park, where a facility has been repurposed for Liberty’s new Center for Energy Research and Education (CERE). The facility hosts the Integral System Test Facility (IST), a small modular reactor with all of the systems necessary to support the operation of the mPower integral reactor. The mission is to develop industry partnerships, grow its applied research capacity, and assist in shaping curriculum to ensure a relevant workforce. A portion of Liberty’s engineering program will move to the site in the fall of 2019.

Pleasants also recognized the school for establishing the region’s first cyber security program and commended its Cyber Defense Club, which has competed on the national stage.

Liberty’s School of Engineering & Computational Sciences offers a variety of degree programs — including computer sciences, as well as electrical, mechanical, computer, and industrial systems engineering and a Master of Science in Cyber Security — that give students relevant hands-on training to open doors to internships and full-time opportunities at companies worldwide. To learn more, visit the school’s webpage or email secs@liberty.edu.