Innovative thinking will tackle challenges: US Professor Bill Oakes

GUNTUR: Global famed engineering teacher Professor Bill Oakes, director, Engineering Projects in Community Service (EPICS), Purdue University, Indianapolis, USA, has observed innovative thinking perfectly tackles the challenges to do engineering projects in community service. He said that there is need to incorporate the EPICS programme in the engineering curriculum.He said that such an attempt will bring laudable results. Dr Bill Oakes visited Vasireddy Venkatadri Institute of Technology, Nambur, for mentoring the faculty and students working on EPICS projects.
EPICS Program is a joint-venture of Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Center (APSSDC) and Indo Universal Collaboration for Engineering Education (IUCEE) for developing important skills in doing engineering projects, which are transferable to any other real world problems, making the engineering graduates much more “employable”.
The VVIT faculty and students working on the EPICS showcased their projects and got valuable suggestions in incorporating innovative and design thinking. Professor Bill Oakes admired by the projects demonstrated by VVIT-EPICS teams. Being a legendary engineering educator, Prof. Bill Oakes, strongly felt that need for incorporation of this program in engineering curriculum as a main stream course in autonomous institutions to yield laudable results.
IUCEE also conducts weekly webinars for the college faculty and students. Participating faculty and students receive formal certificates from EPICS program at Purdue University upon satisfactory completion of projects. Prof. Oakes appreciated the VVIT-EPICS faculty team for their efforts in materializing their ideation to implementation.
Principal Dr Y Mallikarjuna Reddy examined the participants’ projects progress and suggested them to further work on their ideas to convert them into reality and fulfilling the objectives of this APSSDC-IUCEE joint initiative program, EPICS. Dr.Reddy also commended the efforts of APSSDC and IUCEE for organizing this EPICS program which is the rationale for any engineering education.
APSSDC Officials Kantha Reddy, Nagababu, VVIT chairman Vasireddy Vidya Sagar, secretary S.Badari Prasad, Joint secretary, M.Sree Krishna, Principal Dr.Y.Mallikarjuna Reddy, Dean Prof. N.Kumara Swamy, VVIT-IUCEE & VVIT-UIF Coordinators, other Management members, HODs, concerned EPICS faculty members along with their students were present.