Mississippi State is a new member of an engineering organization that includes fewer than 75 universities around the world.
The Starkville school is the first university or college in the state invited to join the International Engineering Consortium, which includes 58 institutions in the United States--such as Columbia, Georgia Tech and Texas A&M--and 16 in other countries.
"As an IEC member, Mississippi State is considered to have among the top national and international engineering programs," said Dean Wayne Bennett of the College of Engineering. "Affiliation opens up an array of new educational opportunities for our students and faculty."
The consortium was founded in 1944 by a group of universities and engineering societies to keep academic and industry professionals current on rapid changes taking place in the electronics industry. Over the decades, the organization's focus evolved to include telecommunications and other sectors of the information industry.
Information technology "is a major thrust of IEC," said Bennett, a member for eight years of its board of directors.
Being a member will better help MSU "serve the needs of MTEL, WorldCom and other information technology companies in the state," he said, adding, "We are very excited about the potential to involve these companies in IEC activities."
The organization is internationally recognized for its forums, seminars and other educational activities. "Participation in these activities will help better prepare our students for future roles in industry," Bennett said.
IEC receives major support from nearly 30 corporate sponsors, including AT&T, BellSouth, IBM, and Motorola.
