Colorado State University has expanded its Systems Engineering program by adding new faculty, staff leadership, and course offerings to meet growing student and industry demand.
Courses are available on campus in Fort Collins, at CSU’s Denver South location in Centennial, and online through CSU Online.
New Associate Director Named
Thomas Bradley has been named Associate Director of Systems Engineering, a new leadership position within the program.
Bradley is an associate professor of mechanical engineering at CSU and brings extensive industry experience in systems engineering. He has worked as an independent consultant in automotive, aerospace, and energy system modeling and design.
His research focuses on system-level engineering, management, economics, and design of emerging energy systems, including automotive, electric power, and aviation systems.
In his new role, Bradley will oversee the administrative side of the Systems Engineering program and advise students.
“Since Colorado State began offering graduate courses in Systems Engineering in 2008, the program has continued to grow in degrees offered, student enrollment, and graduates,” said Ron Sega, vice president for energy and the environment at CSU and director of Systems Engineering. “A new milestone for the program is the addition of an associate director. We are very pleased that outstanding CSU professor Tom Bradley has joined the Systems Engineering team in this important role.”
Aerospace and Defense Expert Joins Faculty
John “Mike” Borky has also joined the Systems Engineering program as a professor.
Borky has nearly 50 years of experience in the aerospace and defense industry, with expertise in systems architecture and engineering, especially for information- and software-intensive systems and enterprises.
He previously served as chief architect for the LMC/Raytheon Team pursuing the E-10A/BMC2 competitive program.
This semester, Borky is teaching Systems Engineering Architecture, offered live at CSU’s Denver South location and online through CSU Online.
Meeting Demand for Systems Engineering
“Systems Engineering is what all engineering will look like in the future, as we move toward more integrated, sustainable technology,” Bradley said. “We already see the transition in the field of biomedical engineering and efforts to make the power grid more resilient. Complex systems involve not only engineering challenges but also economics and policy questions. Systems Engineering gives us the tool set that lets us consider the whole problem and then engineer a large-scale solution.”
A Rapidly Growing Program
CSU began offering the Systems Engineering program in spring 2014 in response to a high priority expressed by the aerospace community in the greater Denver region.
The initial offerings were a sequence of four courses leading to a certificate. Since then, CSU has expanded its offerings to meet increasing demand.
The program now includes Systems Engineering Architecture, the course taught by Borky, which is foundational for CSU’s Master of Engineering, Master of Science, and Ph.D. programs in Systems Engineering.
The Systems Engineering certificate is still available online and in person in Fort Collins and Denver. The M.E. and M.S. degrees now also offer coursework-only options.
Strong Enrollment from Working Professionals
In spring 2014, 150 students enrolled in CSU’s Systems Engineering program through online courses, in-person classes, or a combination of both, according to David McLean, dean of the College of Engineering.
About 60 percent of those students were based in Denver, many of them working professionals in the aerospace industry.
Systems engineering is especially useful in fields that require an integrated approach, including satellites, aircraft, large turbines, energy systems, and utility-related projects.
“As technology grows more complex, it is critical for designers and engineers to approach projects with the total system in mind,” McLean said. “Case studies of major project failures show time and again that ultimately what went wrong was a lack of integration of the discrete elements as opposed to any single element. Systems Engineering bridges the various disciplines of mechanical and electrical and civil engineering into that integrated, interdisciplinary approach.”
The College of Engineering plans to add two or three more faculty members to the Systems Engineering program in the coming year.
For more information, visit www.online.colostate.edu/degrees/systems-engineering/ or email sys_engr_info@engr.colostate.edu.