Author Topic: any metallurgical engineers here by chance? (Read 1679 times)

mortarnoobie · « **on:** July 15, 2005, 07:07:33 PM »

A nephew of mine is going to be a senior in high school next year, and just got back from an introduction to engineering camp at the University of Missouri in Rolla. You pick four types of engineering that you want to learn more about, and do hands on activities for each one. His favorite, by quite a bit, was the metallurgy. They casted some paper weights from aluminum, did some stress tests on different types of steel, and some other stuff. From the sound of it, it does seem pretty interesting. His only concern is the job market. I did some reading, and i guess their metals program is extremely specific. Their students learn their metals front back and side to side, but thats about it (as opposed to "general materials engineering" degrees that other schools provide). While i'm sure there are companies in need of these people, i don't think he wants to have to run around the country to the few places that need these people.

comments and opinions would be greatly appreciated.
did anybody here, if not for metals, go to UMR?

thank you much.
-Jon

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #1 on:** July 15, 2005, 07:25:39 PM »

I went to ISU in Ames (but not in metalurgy), had a few friends that went to Rolla. Good school, also known for parties. If you have any questions ask to see their job placement rate.

mortarnoobie · « **Reply #2 on:** July 15, 2005, 09:00:21 PM »

they place everybody... i think he said they graduate about 60 met. E's a year (very small program) so thats not an issue. its more of being able to chose where you live and work. i read the brochure he brought home... many of their grads go to work for Boeing and caterpillar tractor. while these would be good jobs, they might not be to flexible on location.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #3 on:** July 16, 2005, 12:31:38 AM »

Quote from: mortarnoobie

they place everybody... i think he said they graduate about 60 met. E's a year (very small program) so thats not an issue. its more of being able to chose where you live and work. i read the brochure he brought home... many of their grads go to work for Boeing and caterpillar tractor. while these would be good jobs, they might not be to flexible on location.

Those are the choices in life. I now have the best job I've EVER had. Great people to work for, engineering challanges every day and good satisfaction - AND - a real playground for my form of humor! Would I like to move 1000 miles closer to the kids, sure. Would it be worth the frustration? Tough question!

Blaster · « **Reply #4 on:** July 16, 2005, 03:18:21 AM »

Quote from: mortarnoobie

they place everybody... i think he said they graduate about 60 met. E's a year (very small program) so thats not an issue. its more of being able to chose where you live and work. i read the brochure he brought home... many of their grads go to work for Boeing and caterpillar tractor. while these would be good jobs, they might not be to flexible on location.

Mortarnoobie:
My son graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaigne,IL and then went to graduate school at The Colorado School of Mines. There he got his Masters Degree in Materials/Ceramic Engineering. He now works for Caterpillar Tractor in Peoria, IL. I believe he has done VERY well. He seems to really like his work and has even gotten a patent on something or other but since I'm not into metals/ceramics, the patent stuff kinda went way over my head. He has not regretted getting his degree in this field. Blaster (Bob in So. CO)

mortarnoobie · « **Reply #5 on:** July 19, 2005, 10:01:37 AM »

thanks for the informative replies everybody.

cat, may i ask what your job is? or what your degree is in?

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #6 on:** July 19, 2005, 12:08:30 PM »

I work for a company that makes DC brushless motors as the Test Engineer. That means I design and build test equipment to test the preformance of the final product, usually computerized/automated measuring things like speed, current, direction, torque and a dozen specific tests. I'm often called on for my expertise in geometric tolerancing because for years I taught machine design, jig and fixture design, geometric tolerancing and CAD as well as electronic communications as a professor at the local community college. Just prior to my current job I was a tooling engineer - designing dies to make brake pads and lots of other manufacturing related jigs and fixtures. BS and MS in Industrial Education & Technology from Iowa State and a bunch of years in the Army (E1 - E5 and O1-O4) in Army Security Agency, Signal Corps, Artillary, Infantry and Military Police.

Someday I'll figure out what I'm going to do in life.

GGaskill · « **Reply #7 on:** July 19, 2005, 01:03:22 PM »

Interesting, another ASA type.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #8 on:** July 19, 2005, 02:59:06 PM »

Quote from: GGaskill

Interesting, another ASA type.

You too - or did I miss someone else's mentioning it?

(and to keep on-topic - sort of) I remember re-enacting the march from Acton to the bridge between Lexiton and Concord a couple of times while stationed at Ft. Devens. That was the motivation to build my FIRST mortar - from seeing all the folks with their cannons on that march.

(Cpt Davis and his two sons marched from their home in Acton to the bridge at the start of the revolutionary war - all killed in the battle. Tremendous courage - they took to the battle what they had to fight with - pitchforks .)

GGaskill · « **Reply #9 on:** July 19, 2005, 03:24:09 PM »

Me; but a translator, not a Ft. Devens type. Just thought it interesting that ASA types would also be muzzleloading artillery types.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #10 on:** July 19, 2005, 03:38:10 PM »

Quote from: GGaskill

Me; but a translator, not a Ft. Devens type. Just thought it interesting that ASA types would also be muzzleloading artillery types.

I was a 33G - ecm/DF Systems Repair (and high speed buffer operator).
They used to say that the top 10% of the Army was in ASA - I echoed, yea the scum rises. Those were good times though, lots of good friends in Army, Navy and Air Force from neighboring posts/bases.

Shot my first mortar for the first time there on Ft. Devens (about 20 miles down the road from the bridge) on one of the ranges on the 200th anniversary of the first shot heard round the world - Patriot's Day, April 19th.

Had to make my own fuse from powder saturated paper - worked ok while it was slightly damp - was WAY too fast when it dried.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #11 on:** July 19, 2005, 03:45:39 PM »

Quote from: GGaskill

Me; but a translator, not a Ft. Devens type. Just thought it interesting that ASA types would also be muzzleloading artillery types.

Ahh but the doors that knowing another language opens!

Double D · « **Reply #12 on:** July 19, 2005, 04:06:21 PM »

I have a AS/PMT that included a class in metalurgy...now we are back on topic.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #13 on:** July 19, 2005, 04:10:36 PM »

Quote from: Double D

I have a AS/PMT that included a class in metalurgy...now we are back on topic.

I'll bite. LS/MFT I understand, what's AS/PMT?

Double D · « **Reply #14 on:** July 20, 2005, 04:40:06 PM »

Everybody was tossing out the high faluting fancy alphabet titles so I thought I would toss mine out too, since it is on topic

Quote

LS/MFT

Man, you have to be old to know that one! Loose Strap or Lucky Strike! Turns out either one is nothing but trouble!

dukkillr · « **Reply #15 on:** July 20, 2005, 05:27:42 PM »

I ultimately got Biology and Chemistry degrees from Drury University in Springfield, Missouri but I visited both UMR and Colorado School of Mines. I had an absolute blast in Colorado (literally). UMR has some social aspects that made it somewhat unappealing to me (80% guys) and ultimately I decided I like Chemistry better anyway.

I'd visit Colorado if you're even remotely interested just because it was so much fun. I got to fiddle with a giant tank looking thing they used to blast rock. I also learned about explosives and ran a rock hammer. Plus there's all that boring campus stuff

I live in Lawrence now but I'm from South Johnson County. If you've got any questions PM me and I'll give you my phone number.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #16 on:** July 21, 2005, 12:54:13 AM »

Duk killer -

So what do you like to shoot (in mortars and cannon)?

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #17 on:** July 21, 2005, 12:57:33 AM »

Quote from: Double D

Everybody was tossing out the high faluting fancy alphabet titles so I thought I would toss mine out too, since it is on topic

Quote
LS/MFT

Man, you have to be old to know that one! Loose Strap or Lucky Strike! Turns out either one is nothing but trouble!

Old, no. I'm in denial. But the scary thing is following the Lil' Abner comic strip (being re-run now, currently in March of 1953) and REMEMBERING bits and pieces of what's going to happen next!

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #18 on:** July 21, 2005, 01:05:23 AM »

Let me just add this about cryptic letters that follow people's names.

They don't mean squat, when it comes to the real issues of life.

I learned more about life from my step-dad - who might have made it through 8th grade. He knew what should and shouldn't be done and was a strong force for reason and justice in his community.

It's the real values about people and rights/responsibilities that are important. To that add the degrees and that's OK.

Double D · « **Reply #19 on:** July 21, 2005, 04:33:58 AM »

AS/PMT=Associate of Science/Precison Machine Technology with Honors. 4.0 GPA and now working in field that has nothing to do with that degree. The classes taken during that study have been a help throughout my continuing Law Enforcement career with U.S. Customs.

My major was gunsmithing, but core classes were more valuable.

The mandated computer training in college made it easier for me to transition into using computers in my work. From things as simple as using a word processing program to using the complex database and spreadsheet programs that I use in my analytical work. I find terrorists!

The study of machines and how they function and operate was an enormous help when I was in the field looking for smuggled goods. Why does that truck have an extra axle and drive shaft...humm look at all the dope inside!!!

The Machine tool operations classes gave me the skills to play with and make cannons as a hobby. The study of physics pointed to internal and external ballistics and give me a better understanding of whats going when I light the fuse.

College and higher education are important and open the doors to your future.

dukkillr · « **Reply #20 on:** July 21, 2005, 08:09:51 PM »

Cat Whisper said:

Quote

Duk killer -
So what do you like to shoot (in mortars and cannon)?

I don't shoot cannons or mortars although I find what you guys do very interesting. I mostly cruise this section looking at the cool things you guys build and shoot.

Cannonmaker · « **Reply #21 on:** July 24, 2005, 10:55:36 AM »

DD wrote: College and higher education are important and open the doors to your future.
How true this is, although my degree is in "hard Knox" My oldest son is finishing up his advanced flight training with the navy, which he was E6 when put into the OCS. I also have a son who is a Lawyer in Washington state. A Daughter who is a microbiologist, a Daughter with a degree in food sicence, and a son who is working on his Enengering "chemical" dergree. a daughter just finished her first year of Collage. To put it blunt I like to tell kids in high school the there are no more room for dumbasses, all those jobs are filled. Either lean a trade or go on to collage.

GGaskill · « **Reply #22 on:** July 24, 2005, 11:47:41 AM »

One thing you will note in the various degrees mentioned above is an extreme lack of useless degrees such as English, History, Literature, foreign languages, etc. The humanities degrees have little market value beyond creating more of the same (teaching.) So unless you want to be a teacher, don't major in humanities. Nothing wrong with taking humanities courses, but major in something with market value.

dukkillr · « **Reply #23 on:** July 24, 2005, 12:16:08 PM »

Amen to that. A college degree today is what a high school diploma was 30 years ago, it just gets you in the door. Sure there are exceptions, but they are just that, exceptions.

GGaskill · « **Reply #24 on:** July 24, 2005, 12:38:49 PM »

One of the continuing frauds perpetrated by the secondary education establishment is telling students that college grads average x% more earnings than high school grads, when the reality is that most of the money is made by people with work related degrees (engineering, law, medicine, etc.) and there are plenty of English (etc.) degree grads flipping burgers shoulder to shoulder with high school dropouts.

dukkillr · « **Reply #25 on:** July 24, 2005, 12:47:24 PM »

Actually it's not even about money. Parents and recruiters today say, "do what interests you." That's why you end up with so many people getting degrees in those things. The advice should be, "we're paying for this education so you can get a good job, and not flip burgers. What's your plan?"

HotGuns · « **Reply #26 on:** July 25, 2005, 01:32:10 PM »

Holy Cow !

You gentlemen have some impressive backgrounds. :eek:

I think I'll just go sit in a corner and listen and try to remember to keep my mouth shut.... :shock:

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #27 on:** July 25, 2005, 01:58:58 PM »

Quote from: HotGuns

Holy Cow !

You gentlemen have some impressive backgrounds. :eek:

I think I'll just go sit in a corner and listen and try to remember to keep my mouth shut.... :shock:

Just remember, those that make A's and B's go to work for those that make C's and D's.

Do not make the mistake of confusing a degree with being educated. I know and work with lots of folks that are very well educated, some with some impressive degrees.

Speak out. Ask questions. Make statements (post pictures too), you WILL learn a lot. DD & I have benefited greatly from the process of our roles here.

It is amazing how much you can learn from those that are in different roles and positions - just because you have 'rank' doesn't mean that you can't learn a LOT from those under you in rank.

dukkillr · « **Reply #28 on:** July 25, 2005, 03:06:16 PM »

Quote

Just remember, those that make A's and B's go to work for those that make C's and D's

I hope you meant to say that the other way around. If not, I strongly disagree.

Cat Whisperer · « **Reply #29 on:** July 25, 2005, 03:18:27 PM »

Quote from: dukkillr

Quote
Just remember, those that make A's and B's go to work for those that make C's and D's

I hope you meant to say that the other way around. If not, I strongly disagree.

Nope. But you're certainly welcome express you own observations. I'm sure there are many examples that can be brought up to support either position. My point is that there is no guarentee that getting good grades guarentees good jobs, on the contrary, good social skills and/or motivation is just as much an influence on performance.