Peer rankings released in early April by U.S. News and World Report, BYU College of Engineering’s graduate programs ranked higher than previous years across the board.
Among other programs, mechanical engineering increased by nine spots, chemical engineering rose five spots and electrical engineering jumped 14 spots. Each program ranks within the top 100 nationwide.
The rankings come from peer evaluations, meaning that deans, department chairs and other sources from around the country score other schools.
Associate academic vice president Larry Howell said it is evidence that “BYU continues to do great things.”
He explained that the rankings reflect “a combination of students going out and doing great things and the research coming out of BYU.”
Larry Baxter, chemical engineering professor, is one of many engineering faculty involved in groundbreaking research. He shared his perspective on BYU’s presence as a research institution.
“BYU has a well-deserved reputation as a great educational institution,” Baxter said. “But I think virtually everyone … underappreciates the quality of the research that gets done here.”
So, what aspects of BYU's engineering research are catching academics' attention?
Baxter noted combating climate change is widely believed to be among the most pressing modern issues, and limiting the CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions that exacerbate it is a gargantuan task.
Many methods of reducing CO2 have been put forth, but the process created by Baxter and his team has been heralded as the most feasible so far. They call it “Cryogenic Carbon Capture.”
Exhaust from a factory can be cooled and the CO2 separated. It can then be “captured” and stored in a form that won’t pollute the atmosphere. Baxter says this technology could revolutionize the way carbon emissions are managed.
Students on both the undergraduate and graduate level play an important role in the research done at BYU. The frequency of hands-on learning opportunities makes the school stand out.
Dean of Graduate Studies Adam Woolley, who is also a professor in the chemistry department, expounded on why involving students in research is so critical.
“Some of the best teaching moments I have are when I’m working with students on research … and watching the ‘light bulb’ go on in the students’ heads,” he said.
He also emphasized that while the classroom teaches students about history’s “cutting-edge” developments in science, the real cutting-edge is found in the lab.
Ryan Camacho, a professor at the department of electrical and computer engineering, shed light on some of the incredible work he and his students are involved in.
Camacho specializes in nanophotonics and quantum information. Those are complex matters, but they can be boiled down to one current buzzword: quantum computing.
A typical computer uses electricity to solve problems, but Camacho’s team studies circuits that use light to compute faster than ever before.
By improving processes like medical innovation, financial modeling and even astronomy, quantum computing has the potential to revolutionize our world.
“That’s the science fiction part, right?” he said. “The technology is, it turns out, real.”
An elevator ride leads to Camacho’s lab, where hovering tables (to reduce vibrations) hold fragile, precisely designed circuits. Miniscule computer chips run on light from small lasers, and results are outputted through fiber optic cables.
While Camacho calls much of the science behind it a “mystery,” the research will continue to gain footing.
From cutting-edge climate change tech to quantum computing, you just can’t find a more exciting place than (BYU),” Baxter said.
Woolley underscored the immense care given to the BYU undergraduate experience, and just as much thought and effort is put into its myriad graduate programs.
Looking to the future, he is especially excited to see how the addition of a medical school will advance graduate work across campus.
Not only will it bring in new medical research, Woolley explained, but it will facilitate work between engineers, scientists and many in other fields.
“I think you’ll see a leap in our scholarly work because of some of those collaborations.”
Students interested in engineering graduate programs should consult the graduate studies webpage here.