Engineering Prof. Laura Ikuma on Choosing Written & Spoken

Senior Design courses in Engineering put students in a position to connect the technical skills they develop over their curriculum with the vital communication skills associated with team project management and writing and presenting project updates for stakeholders. For Professor Laura Ikuma and several of her Engineering faculty colleagues, this is an important opportunity to help students understand that the process of translating their work into writing and speaking formats enables discussions that foster further innovation for project development. Knowledge of the technical content and skills is vital, but being able to share this effectively with others can be what sets an engineer apart from the pack. Because of this, Laura opted to certify her course in writing and speaking so that she emphasized the importance of these skills in her teaching, assignments and grading. From design notebooks to elaborate lab reports, informal presentations with faculty, industry visitors, and classmates to high-stakes oral presentations that involve extensive Q&A, students are tested again and again on their knowledge and how effectively they are demonstrating it.