From the dawn of
the industrial revolution to today's age of high technology, textile
manufacturing has been a leading industry in the United States.
Today, U.S. textiles are a $50-billion-a-year, high-tech industry
employing over 700,000 men and women. According to a recent article
in the Wall Street Journal, "People don't realize
how much demand for employment there is in the textile industry
and those industries which use textile materials, i.e. biomedical,
aerospace, automotive and sporting goods. Companies fight over
college graduates, almost all of whom get three to five offers."
Textiles are as familiar
as dresses, sheets, draperies and upholstery, and as high-tech
as circuit boards for communications satellites and computers,
lightweight fibers for airplane wings, heat shields for spacecrafts
and suits used by astronauts. The textile engineer is the professional
who manages the entire textile enterprise that is responsible
for this wide range of products. The engineer has primary responsibility
for the engineering design of new products and processes.
Just as mechanical
and civil engineers use steel and concrete beams, textile engineers
use fibers and yarns as building materials. The unique properties
of textile materials have created a strong demand for this specialty.
The program has recently been modified to include a unique combination
of science, engineering, textile and management courses which
makes it a candidate for accreditation by ABET (Accreditation
Board for Engineering and Technology). Graduates can directly
enter professional positions in the industry or continue their
engineering studies in graduate school.
Students learn basic
engineering principles which, when coupled with applied textile
engineering courses, enable them to design, develop and manufacture
the entire range of common and advanced fiber-based products.
Management courses prepare the student to understand the business
aspects of the industry.
|
