Representatives from Siemens and other interested parties visited MTSU March 22, touring the Department of Engineering Technology’s mechatronics and other lab facilities as it considers building on the current partnership.

Dana Soukoup, vice president of Siemens Building Technologies Division in Chicago, Illinois, was joined by fellow Siemens officials Judith Bevels of Murfreesboro and Sara Mould of Nashville; Jimmy Davis of Murfreesboro-based The Davis Groupe; and Keith Hamilton, who retired in 2016 from Bridgestone Americas Inc. and continues to promote mechatronics engineering at all levels.

MTSU junior mechanical engineering technology major Tony Cheatham, left, discusses one of two lunar rover entries the Experimental Vehicles Program will have in an upcoming NASA-sponsored world competition in a Voorheis Engineering Technology building lab March 22. Observing are, from left, Dana Soukoup, vice president of Siemens Building Technologies Division; Jimmy Davis of The Davis Groupe; Judith Bevels and Sara Mould of Siemens; and Keith Hamilton, a 2016 Bridgeston Americas retiree who promotes mechatronics engineering at middle school, high school, community college and university levels. (MTSU photos by Randy Weiler)

Mechatronics engineering is a multidisciplinary field of engineering with a combination of systems in mechanical, electrical, telecommunications, control and computer engineering.

Mechatronics is based on a three-level international certification program created by Siemens, a German engineering company. To date, MTSU is the only Siemens-certified Level 3 four-year mechatronics program in the world.

Engineering Technology Chair Walter Boles led the entourage on the tour of mechatronics and engineering facilities. College of Basic and Applied Sciences Dean Bud Fischer joined them for tours of the new Science Building and just-renovated Davis Science Building.

In a hands-on lab, MTSU graduate assistant Joel Clements of Murfreesboro and junior mechanical engineering technology major Tony Cheatham of Knoxville, Tennessee, shared about the Experimental Vehicles Program in engineering technology.

The group had a business lunch with MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee, interim Provost Mark Byrnes and other MTSU officials.

Later, they toured the mechatronics facility at the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Smyrna, Tennessee, and met with state officials in Nashville.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)

MTSU junior Tony Cheatham demonstrates how the Experimental Vehicles Program’s lunar rover collapses for storage. Department of Engineering Technology graduate assistant Joel Clements, back left, Jimmy Davis of The Davis Groupe, Judith Bevels and Sara Mould of Siemens and Keith Hamilton, a Bridgstone Americas Inc. retiree who promotes mechatronics engineering at all levels, watch and listen March 22 at MTSU. Siemens officials, including vice president of BT Americas Dana Soukoup (not pictured), learned more about MTSU’s mechatronics and engineering technology facilities.

Jimmy Davis, left, of the Murfreesboro-based Davis Groupe, shares how his company utilizes MTSU mechatronics graduates March 22 at MTSU. Listening are, from left, Sara Mould and Judith Bevels of Siemens, MTSU Department of Engineering Technology chair Walter Boles and Dava Soukoup, vice president of Siemens Building Technologies Division. Siemens visited MTSU’s mechatronics engineering and other facilities.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)