Calvin University introduces aerospace engineering concentration

Calvin University’s engineering program now offers an aerospace engineering concentration that marks one of the only opportunities in the country for students to attend a Christian institution to earn a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering degree. Students will learn from instructors who are experienced in the field and will be able to receive a Christian liberal arts education in a respected engineering program.

According to an article on Calvin University’s website, students are excited to have the opportunity to gain an aerospace engineering education from instructors who share their Christian values, especially since those instructors are, in their opinion, almost overqualified for the job.

Juan Moon, a junior the university, was quoted as saying, “There are a lot of profs here who I believe are overqualified based on what they’ve achieved in industry, but they are here because they found God was calling them to be here in the first place and I feel that’s a gift for the students. They teach more than just technical things. Yes, the profs are qualified to teach those aspects, but they go beyond to relate these technical aspects to Christian values, showing us how to live in [an] industry guided by what you believe in.”

Ken Visser is one professor in the program, as well as the driving force behind the creation of the program. Visser previously worked at both NASA and Boeing and had a part in the design of the Boeing 767-400ER. Joining Visser as program instructors are Matt Heun, who previously worked in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Fred Haan, who specializes in experimental aerodynamics.

Speaking of his experience with Visser, Kyle Chakery, a freshman student who came from Texas to study in the university’s aerospace engineering program, said, “On my visit to campus last year, I got to have a one-on-one visit with Ken Visser, and we chatted for 20-30 minutes, and he was amazing to talk to. We talked about planes, some of the Apollo missions, and it was really exciting. You could see the passion he has for aerospace. I love that he has a major passion for exploration, design, creativity, and critical thinking. Now, as a student, I feel the professors are very easy to talk to, specifically Visser, and I’m not afraid to ask questions if I’m confused.”

Ava Ibrahim, a sophomore student who came to Calvin University from Massachusetts for the aerospace engineering program, said, “I am excited about learning aero here because the profs who are part of the aero program have a lot of experience up their sleeves. They’ve been everywhere, done everything. The education I am going to get is going to be valuable, which is a solid foundation.”

She added of the program's liberal arts nature, “I think a lot of engineering requires good written and verbal communication, and I know that the liberal arts education I’m getting at Calvin will be most helpful in those areas: reading, writing, and speaking. So, it’s been so good to have an oral rhetoric class for engineers. Learning the way people around you think is really helpful and I think some people would miss out on having that knowledge, how to integrate into society without a liberal arts education.”

Chakery echoed these sentiments, saying, “It [a liberal arts education] just expands your broadness of thought. You get a wider scope of what there is out there theologically and philosophically, which I think is unique and important in understanding engineering design as well. We talk about moral norms in engineering design which means stuff has to be up to code morally, ethically, and physically, because some of the stuff you build will have an impact on other people, so you would have to build that with a broad scope in mind.”

The program page for the aerospace engineering program notes that students will be able to complete the program in four years, and will have the opportunity for hands-on internships and the option to study abroad in Germany at the Technische Universität Berlin.

For more information about Calvin University, visit the school’s website.