U-D Mercy works to keep more engineers, innovators in Michigan

Leo Hanifin, dean of the engineering school at the University of Detroit Mercy, says that the U.S. needs to produce more engineers and Michigan must do so especially if it wants to remain the innovation center of the automotive industry.

"Forty-five percent or more of all Chinese college students currently study engineering compared to just 4.5 percent in the United States," he reported. "Nationally, low enrollments at engineering schools are tied to poor high-school preparation and low interest levels, especially among women and minorities."

This isn't new news but it's more urgently needed to be respected as more and more baby boomers retire and fewer foreign-born students are choosing to stay in the U.S. or even study here in the first place, according to Hanifin.

U-D Mercy is surfacing as a leader in plugging this brain drain with the development of collaborative programs, such as the Product Development Leadership Coalition and the Michigan Ohio University Transportation Center. The product coalition is a collaborative effort involving the Rochester Institute of Technology, MIT, U.S. Navy and six global corporations. The transportation center focuses on research and education in alternative fuels, intelligent transportation systems and supply-chain efficiency.

But more needs to be done to keep talent here if we want to keep here relevant in the new economy.

Source: University of Detroit Mercy
Writer: Jon Zemke