Welcome! My name is Vince McClure. I’m the Dean of the School of Engineering. If you have questions I can answer, feel free to e-mail me at vmcclure@stmartin.edu.

Over the years I’ve been an engineering aide in the space program, a college professor, a designer of bridges and buildings, and the owner of a structural engineering firm. In all of those jobs, I’ve used my engineering education. I’ve used it when I was making fishing rods or kites or working in the space program many years ago. I use it today when I’m teaching a class or investigating the failure of a building or bridge.

Engineering is the tool that bridges the gap between the theory of mathematics and science and the practical world of the actual product. It combines mathematics, science, art, and practical building sense to produce products that are useful.

The products of engineers’ minds are everywhere. Motors, radios, tires, lights, electrical systems, car bodies, just to name a very few, are all products of engineering design. Houses, office buildings, dams, roads, traffic lights, heating and ventilation systems, rocket motors, computers, and the lowly flush toilet are all the products of engineering design. Roller coasters, sail boats and ships, cell towers, airport runways, and the planes that land on them are also all the products of engineering design. This is what we do. We make things better. We make life easier to live. In a real sense, our motto is, “There has to be a better way.”

Engineering requires lots of hard work, and imagination, and creativity. I love it. If you like designing things and making things work, engineering is a field you should love. There are few things that give you more scope to grow and use your imagination and creativity than engineering.

Saint Martin’s University has had an ABET accredited program for almost 50 years. We offer two different majors: Civil Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. These are the largest and most diverse fields of engineering. Civil Engineers design roads, and foundations, intersections, harbors, bridges, flood control systems, sewer systems, rail roads, and literally hundreds or thousands of different things. Mechanical Engineers work on moving and stationary machinery. If it whirrs or clicks or lights up or runs it probably involves some aspect of Mechanical Engineering.

If you are looking for a quality program to help you become an engineer, this is the place for you. We have small classes, friendly professors, professors in the class rooms, and lots of things to do. I hope to see you here soon.

Vince McClure, S.E., P.E., Ph.D.
Dean, School of Engineering