VSU celebrates engineering as crucial part of modern society
Published 3:57 pm Sunday, March 2, 2025
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Submitted photo: Valdosta State University’s College of Science and Mathematics recently recognized National Engineers Week (Feb. 16-22) with its annual Engineering Night, a celebration of Blazer Nation’s commitment to providing a well-educated engineering workforce. The event is designed to help students understand engineering and technology careers available to them across South Georgia (and even around the world), connect them with role models they can relate to, and increase interest in engineering as an academic field of study.
Submitted photo: Dr. Barry Hojjatie, professor and engineering studies program coordinator in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering Technology, shares the purpose of Engineering Night at Valdosta State University.
Submitted photo: Dr. Krishnendu Roy, head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering Studies, presents Austin Byrd, a first-generation college student from Hahira, Georgia, with the Threadgill Thompson Engineering Scholarship and the Outstanding Student in the Regents’ Engineering Pathways Program Award.
Submitted photo: Dr. Krishnendu Roy, head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering Studies, presents Joshua Benton of Atlanta, Georgia, with the Outstanding Student in Engineering Technology Award.
Submitted photo: Jose de Diego Arozamena, chief executive officer of Arglass, and Mauricio Vargas, engineer, share how they are committed to reinventing the glass industry from the ground up to become the most flexible, innovative, sustainable, and technologically advanced container manufacturer in North America, and maybe even the world.
VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University’s College of Science and Mathematics recently recognized National Engineers Week (Feb. 16-22) with its annual Engineering Night.
Dr. Barry Hojjatie, professor and engineering studies program coordinator in VSU’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering Technology, said Engineering Night is designed to help students understand engineering and technology careers available to them across South Georgia (and even around the world), connect them with role models they can relate to, and increase interest in engineering as an academic field of study.
Demand for engineers grows from year to year, Hojjatie said, and through events like Engineering Night and National Engineers Week, VSU is able to share its unwavering commitment to graduating students who have the skills necessary to create, build, and maintain infrastructure; solve problems; drive economic growth and innovation; overcome challenges; and improve quality of life for all.
Students in attendance were able to network and engage with industry leaders and technical representatives from Arglass, Saft America Inc., Salvus LLC, Georgia Power, and more during the nearly two-hour event.
Jose de Diego Arozamena, chief executive officer of Arglass, shared how he and his team are committed to reinventing the glass industry from the ground up to become the most flexible, innovative, sustainable, and technologically advanced container manufacturer in North America, and maybe even the world.
Believing that a new approach to glass container manufacturing is required to take the industry into the future, the Arglass team shared details about their new fully networked and AI-enabled plant for closed-loop automation. Their goal is to work towards a full iterative learning process for a facility-wide data analysis AI program, which will lead to less production downtime and product changeover, lower quality defect rates, and stronger digital supply networks.
During the Arglass presentation, Arozamena, along with Bobby Martini and Mauricio Vargas, engineers, had a significant impact on increasing the profile of engineering and promoting engineering as a career, Hojjatie said.
Other Engineering Night activities included:
• Austin Byrd, a first-generation college student from Hahira, was recognized for earning the Threadgill Thompson Engineering Scholarship and the Outstanding Student in the Regents’ Engineering Pathways Program Award. After completing his Associate of Applied Science in Engineering Studies at VSU, he hopes to continue his education in electrical and electronics engineering at the University of Georgia in the fall.
Later in the evening, Byrd had an opportunity to discuss his research, “Automation and Control Systems Engineering with Modern Baking.” He said he fell in love with control systems engineering while working as a dough prep lead at Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe in Valdosta.
“Many engineering roles involve the design of one tool or machine,” he shared. “On the other hand, control systems engineers are able to design the entirety of processes that surround us day to day. At Martin’s specifically, I was fascinated with the production environment, and I loved learning how to troubleshoot every individual process to allow the system, as a whole, to operate smoothly. I discovered through both my personal experience and research that many industrial processes that are ‘automated’ are not yet fully ‘hands off’ and still require human operators and/or intervention. In the future, I would like to be part of a team that completely automates an intricate process such as that of an industrial bakery.”
• Joshua Benton of Atlanta was recognized for earning the Outstanding Student in Engineering Technology Award. He will graduate in December 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology from VSU.
• Dr. David Brown, a former Regents’ Engineering Pathways Program student at VSU, shared his journey from Blazer Nation to University of Virginia assistant professor. After transferring to the Georgia Institute of Technology, he earned his bachelor’s and doctoral degrees in mechanical engineering, worked for Raytheon Intelligence and Space in California, completed a number of fellowships, including a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California and a research fellowship at the University of Michigan. He encouraged the students in attendance to pursue their passion. He said that there is nothing better than getting paid to do something you are passionate about.
• Jasmine Freeman, astronomy and physics major, and Miguel A. Riano Guevara, engineering studies major, shared their plans for VSU’s Engineering Club. Through various projects, community service events, field trips, guest speakers, and other activities, they hope this research-focused group will advance the general interest and welfare of future engineers at VSU.
• Jayna Hazlewood, data scientist and VSU engineering collaborator, shared how using Lean, Six Sigma, and programmable logic controllers together can reduce defects, minimize waste, and increase efficiency across industry sectors.
• Hojjatie presented a brief overview of his research, “Strengthening of Glass and Ceramic Materials Using Residual Stresses.”
• Dr. Pierre-Richard Cornely, dean of the College of Science and Mathematics, said that VSU is committed to graduating career-ready graduates by aligning degree programs with workforce and employer demands. This includes the development of new programs in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering Technology.
“We are laying the foundation for the College of Science and Mathematics to become the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) hub of South Georgia, a place where education meets innovation and VSU students, faculty, and industry leaders collaborate to drive progress.”
“VSU is evolving,” he continued. “The College of Science and Mathematics is rising. Our community is growing stronger. Together we will engineer solutions, inspire minds, and transform futures. We’re not just preparing students for jobs; we’re preparing them to be leaders, innovators, and changemakers. The future is bright. The future is now. The future is VSU.”
VSU offers an Associate of Applied Science in Engineering Studies, a traditional two-year program. These students typically transfer to the Georgia Institute of Technology, the University of Georgia, or other Georgia institutions of higher education through the Regents’ Engineering Pathways Program.
VSU also offers a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology, a traditional four-year degree program with a concentration in Industrial Engineering Technology.
