Among the requirements for engineering programs, the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) criteria for student outcomes require students to have the ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences, recognize ethical and professional responsibilities, function effectively on a team, and apply new knowledge. A review of literature for skills comprised within these ABET criteria determined 26 topics necessary for the entry-level and continued success of engineers. Nearly 500 companies and organizations rated the importance and proficiency of their recent entry-level engineers for these 26 identified soft (professional) skills. The findings suggest that although entry-level engineers have proficiency in all of these ABET required skills, the entry-level engineers were not meeting the level of importance expressed by the organization for 24 of these 26 skills. A specific ABET required skill, the ability to communicate effectively with diverse groups of people, has the greatest difference between the level of proficiency and the level of importance. Analysis of variance was conducted using each of the demographic variables to determine the effect sizes in the ratings of importance, proficiency, and the differences between importance and proficiency. These results were shared with industry members to confirm the relevance of the survey findings during the pandemic. This survey research has implications for any university engineering department where students are seeking entry-level engineering positions after graduation.

Mr. Eastman spent six years as a hardware design engineer with Intel corporation before entering academia to specialize in embedded systems design. Most recently he has been involved in curriculum development and academic calendar conversion at RIT. He has a BS in Electrical Engineering Technology and a MS in Computer Science from RIT.

This paper introduces the Transfer Pipeline (TiPi) Scholars' program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that focuses on students who transfer at the 3 rd year level from 2-year schools to our university. The objectives of the TiPi program are: (i) to address a national concern by helping to expand the engineering/technology workforce of the future, (ii) to develop linkages and articulations with 2-year schools and their S-STEM programs, (iii) to serve as a model for other selective universities to provide transfer students the access to the baccalaureate, (iv) to give scholars hands-on experience in the latest tools and technologies, and (v) to provide increased career opportunities and job placement rates through mandatory co-op experiences.The TiPi program awarded 25 scholarships in each of the last three academic years for a total of 75 new transfer students in our engineering and engineering technology programs.At the beginning of the Fall semester of 2015, the status of these 75 scholars was as follows: 19 had graduated, 33 were carrying full-time academic load, 19 were in paid co-op positions, and 4 had left the program. So, our retention rate has been approximately 95%. This paper describes the characteristics of the 75 scholars, compares their academic performance relative to their peers, and their placement in paid cooperative employment positions.

He is a recipient of the 2000 Eisenhart Award for Outstanding Teaching. At RIT, he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in applied mechanics, computational techniques, and materials science.

is a professor of mechanical engineering, and a member of the graduate faculty of materials science and Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester, N.Y.). He is a recipient of the 2000 Eisenhart Award for Excellence in Teaching. At RIT, he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in applied mechanics, computational techniques, and materials science.