Electrical Engineering Launches This Fall at Mississippi College

Chris Maggio, chairman of the Department of Computer Science and Physics

Michael Washam believes an engineering career will create opportunities to make a positive difference in the world.

The Mississippi College junior starts his journey toward that goal as one of the university’s first electrical engineering students. Classes on the Clinton campus begin in late August.

“I have always loved challenging, technical classes, so I knew that electrical engineering was for me,” Washam says.

The 20-year-old Clinton High graduate began his MC studies in Fall 2013 as a physics major and mathematics minor. Scientific challenges fascinate Washam. He enjoys problem solving on computers.

Michael pondered the possibilities when the Baptist-affiliated university announced plans last year to launch an electrical engineering program. He decided he wanted to become part of the inaugural class on the Clinton campus.

It’s an innovative field appealing to bright people with high-tech skills in a fast-changing universe.

Electrical engineers design, develop, test and supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment. That includes electric motors, radar and navigation systems, communications systems and power generation equipment.

The pay isn’t bad. The median annual wage for electrical engineers nationwide stood at $87,920 in May 2012, according to the latest reports from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment of electrical engineers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2012 to 2022.

There are an estimated 1.6 million engineers across the USA. That number includes 157,800 electrical engineers. They put their skills to work in research and development industries, the federal government, manufacturing and other sectors of the economy.

The leader of MC’s electrical engineering program, professor Chris Maggio sees an abundance of career options awaiting its graduates in the 21^st Century.

“The ability of engineers to harness the power of electricity has significantly improved our quality of life and technological capabilities,” says Maggio, chairman of the Department of Computer Science and Physics. “And it will undoubtedly continue to be a crucial component of our development for the future.”

Reports show that electrical engineers remain in-demand and are well-compensated worldwide, he noted.

Mississippi College leaders continue to get the word out about the electrical engineering program. It is modeled after the engineering curriculum at Mississippi State University.

Maggio and other Physics Department professors will talk up the electrical engineering degree at the university’s Fall 2015 preview days to prospective students.

MC’s electrical engineering launch comes as the USA economy shows signs of brightening. From the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg to the Nissan plant in Canton and Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, engineers are in demand.

Michael Washam can’t wait to get started. He will join his longtime friend, Reagan McIlwain, of Clinton in the Christian university’s first wave of electrical engineering classes. MC seeks to attract 15 students in year one.

“I think with the small class sizes at MC combined with the incredible professors, it will be an amazing experience, and journey for everyone involved,” Michael said. “The electrical engineering program has an exciting future ahead.”

The son of Chris and Missy Washam showed a knack for science growing up in Clinton.

“Michael has always had an interest in technical things – particularly space science fiction and the like,” says MC Kinesiology Department chairman Chris Washam. “He loves science – especially physics. The faculty in the Physics Department, particularly Dr. Maggio, has done a great job in cultivating and encouraging his interests.”

The electrical engineering initiative will share facilities and equipment with the computer science, physics and engineering physics programs at Mississippi College.

For more information, contact Chris Maggio at 601-925-3213 or maggio@mc.edu