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The Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering is the college of
engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
at
Texas Tech University Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sy ...
in Lubbock, Texas. The engineering program has existed at Texas Tech University since 1925. Additionally, the Whitacre College of Engineering administers graduate engineering degree programs at the university's campus in
Amarillo Amarillo ( ; Spanish for " yellow") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of Potter County. It is the 14th-most populous city in Texas and the largest city in the Texas Panhandle. A portion of the city extends into Randall Cou ...
, Texas. Many of the college's degree programs are accredited by
ABET The ABET (incorporated as the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.) is a non-governmental organization that accredits post-secondary education programs in applied and natural sciences, computing, engineering and engineering ...
. The Whitacre College of Engineering is the first and, presently, only school in the world to offer a doctor of philosophy degree in wind science and engineering. In August 2008, the Whitacre College of Engineering announced that it would rename its petroleum engineering department the Bob L. Herd Department of Petroleum Engineering. Herd, a Texas Tech petroleum engineering alumnus and
Tyler, Texas Tyler is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the largest city and county seat of Smith County, Texas, Smith County. It is also the largest city in Northeast Texas. With a 2020 census population of 105,995, Tyler was the List of cities in Texa ...
oil man, donated $15 million to the college. The department was ranked tenth in the nation in the April 2008 edition of ''U.S. News & World Report.''


History

The Texas Technological College, present day Texas Tech University, School of Engineering was created in the fall of 1925. At that time the school consisted of 313 students and two faculty members, and was housed in the textile engineering building, now the industrial engineering building. In 1928, the School of Engineering expanded and opened the west engineering building, now the electrical and computer engineering building. The school's civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, and textile engineering programs were accredited by the Engineering Council for Professional Development in 1933. The chemical engineering and petroleum engineering programs were accredited in 1959 and 1960 respectively. The chemical engineering building opened for classes in 1960. In the early 1970s the Pulsed Power Research Center was created for the purpose of plasma research. On November 12, 2008, Texas Tech announced that they received a $25 million gift from AT&T and friends of Ed Whitacre in honor of former CEO and Texas Tech alumnus Edward E. Whitacre Jr. Additionally, the college announced that it will be renamed the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering.


Recognitions

In 2011, Texas Tech’s Whitacre College of Engineering was ranked 78th in the nation by ''U.S. News & World Report''. In the magazine's 2010 graduate engineering rankings, the overall graduate engineering program moved up to 99th among 198 programs nationwide. The Department of Industrial Engineering ranked 29th in the industrial/manufacturing category. Texas Tech University recently made the top ten in
Forbes.com ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family (publishers), Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing ...
survey of the "Best Colleges for Women and Minorities in STEM." Texas Tech ranked the No. 7 "Best Colleges for Minorities in STEM." ''Hispanic Business'' magazine's September 2007 issue ranked the Whitacre College of Engineering as the 14th best in the United States for
Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
students. The college focused on enrolling students from minority backgrounds and from 2006 to 2007, freshman Hispanic enrollment increased by 23 percent.


Academic departments

*
Chemical Engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...
*
Civil Civil may refer to: *Civic virtue, or civility *Civil action, or lawsuit * Civil affairs *Civil and political rights *Civil disobedience *Civil engineering *Civil (journalism), a platform for independent journalism *Civilian, someone not a membe ...
and
Environmental A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...
Engineering *
Computer Science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (includi ...
*
Electrical Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described ...
and Computer Engineering * Construction Engineering and
Engineering Technology An engineering technologist is a professional trained in certain aspects of development and implementation of a respective area of technology. Engineering technology education is even more applied and less theoretical than engineering education ...
*
Industrial Industrial may refer to: Industry * Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry * Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems * Industrial city, a city dominate ...
,
Manufacturing Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to ...
, and Systems Engineering *
Mechanical Engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, an ...
* Petroleum Engineering


Research centers


Center for Advanced Intelligent Systems

The Center for Advanced Intelligent Systems is an interdisciplinary laboratory in the computer science department. Currently the center conducts research in the fields of data understanding, human-centered computing, computational mechanics and materials, declarative languages and
software engineering Software engineering is a systematic engineering approach to software development. A software engineer is a person who applies the principles of software engineering to design, develop, maintain, test, and evaluate computer software. The term '' ...
. The center's research on data understanding is focused on data and knowledge representation, finding causal links, and mining of large databases containing macro and micro data. The center also researches seamless interaction of dry and wet
intelligent agent In artificial intelligence, an intelligent agent (IA) is anything which perceives its environment, takes actions autonomously in order to achieve goals, and may improve its performance with learning or may use knowledge. They may be simple or ...
s in the field of human-centered computing. Its declarative languages research aims to develop intuitive abstractions for the construction of symbolic and numerical computations. In the field of software engineering, the center is also conducting research on the impact of
software architecture Software architecture is the fundamental structure of a software system and the discipline of creating such structures and systems. Each structure comprises software elements, relations among them, and properties of both elements and relations. ...
, classifications of software, and
technology transfer Technology transfer (TT), also called transfer of technology (TOT), is the process of transferring (disseminating) technology from the person or organization that owns or holds it to another person or organization, in an attempt to transform invent ...
considerations on the process of software development.


Center for Engineering Outreach

The principal goal of the Center of Engineering Outreach is to promote integration of engineering education in K-14 education at the regional and state level. The center aims to accomplish this by developing
curricula In education, a curriculum (; : curricula or curriculums) is broadly defined as the totality of student experiences that occur in the educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view ...
, teacher training, and other academic resources designed to help K-14 educators and institutions engage students in the fields of engineering. To work towards this goal, the center provides experiences that reinforce interest and learning about engineering at the K-14 level through competitions, mentoring, campus visits and early admission.


Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Transportation

The Center for Multidisciplinary Research in Transportation (TechMRT) was established in 1997 to serve as a focal point between Texas Tech and the various transportation research funding organizations and programs. In the area of
pavement engineering Pavement engineering is a branch of civil engineering that uses engineering techniques to design and maintain flexible (asphalt) and rigid ( concrete) pavements. This includes streets and highways and involves knowledge of soils, hydraulics ...
and construction, the center has conducted research on constructability and material selection for surface treatments, asphalt binder quality assurance and best practices for pavement edge maintenance and repair. TechMRT's research in environmental and
right-of-way Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another. A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
issues has included projects on developing an integrated roadside management system for
TxDOT The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a government agency in the American state of Texas. Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with the construction and maintenance of the state's immense state highway system ...
and addressing
fire ant Fire ants are several species of ants in the genus ''Solenopsis'', which includes over 200 species. ''Solenopsis'' are stinging ants, and most of their common names reflect this, for example, ginger ants and tropical fire ants. Many of the nam ...
dispersal along
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...
highways. In the field of geotechnical engineering, the center also conducts research in the area of expansive solids,
pavements Pavement may refer to: * Pavement (architecture), an outdoor floor or superficial surface covering * Road surface, the durable surfacing of roads and walkways ** Asphalt concrete, a common form of road surface * Sidewalk or pavement, a walkway al ...
and foundations, as well as in the areas of design, construction, and performance of geotechnical systems including earth retention systems, bridge foundations and bridge approaches. TechMRT also conducts research in the area of transportation structures including projects in innovative design and construction methods for off-system bridges, controlling
vibration Vibration is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point. The word comes from Latin ''vibrationem'' ("shaking, brandishing"). The oscillations may be periodic, such as the motion of a pendulum—or random, su ...
in cable-stayed bridges,
rapid bridge replacement Rapid bridge replacement or accelerated bridge construction (ABC) is a technique that allows bridges to be replaced with minimum disruption to traffic. The replacement bridge is constructed on a site near the bridge to be replaced. When it is comp ...
and live load testing of a
sandwich plate system Sandwich Plate System (SPS) is the name of a patented structural composite material comprising two metal plates bonded with an elastomer core. SPS was created in partnership with chemical manufacturer BASF incorporating Elastocore ® as the cor ...
. The traffic engineering branch of TechMRT was created in 2004 and has conducted research in ways to make highways and intersections safer from aggressive drivers, as well as methods to make roadways safer during weather events.


Center for Nanophotonics

The Center for Nanophotonics at Texas Tech is a focal point in Texas for conducting innovative research and development on active nano-scale photonic materials and devices (devices that convert light to electricity or vice versa). The center’s research areas cover a broad spectrum, ranging from basic to applied, and dealing with state-of-the-art nano-scale material synthesis, device processing and fundamental physics. In particular, the center’s research works have significantly advanced the fundamental understanding of III-nitride wide bandgap semiconductors (GaN, AlN, AlGaN, InGaN, and InAlGaN) and their applications (these materials promise to be effective in producing renewable energy and light more efficiently).


Center For Pulsed Power and Power Electronics (P3E)

The Center For Pulsed Power and Power Electronics (P3E) conducts interdisciplinary research in plasma,
pulsed power Pulsed power is the science and technology of accumulating energy over a relatively long period of time and releasing it instantly, thus increasing the instantaneous power. They can be used in some applications such as food processing, water treatme ...
, and
power electronics Power electronics is the application of electronics to the control and conversion of electric power. The first high-power electronic devices were made using mercury-arc valves. In modern systems, the conversion is performed with semiconducto ...
. Plasma research at Texas Tech started in 1966, and was focused on harmonic
ion cyclotron resonance Ion cyclotron resonance is a phenomenon related to the movement of ions in a magnetic field. It is used for accelerating ions in a cyclotron, and for measuring the masses of an ionized analyte in mass spectrometry, particularly with Fourier transfo ...
s in small mirror machines,
laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fi ...
heating of magnetized plasmas, and pellet injection in hot dense plasmas. In 1977 a small
Tokamak A tokamak (; russian: токамáк; otk, 𐱃𐰸𐰢𐰴, Toḳamaḳ) is a device which uses a powerful magnetic field to confine plasma in the shape of a torus. The tokamak is one of several types of magnetic confinement devices being ...
was constructed for the purpose of
wave propagation Wave propagation is any of the ways in which waves travel. Single wave propagation can be calculated by 2nd order wave equation ( standing wavefield) or 1st order one-way wave equation. With respect to the direction of the oscillation relative to ...
studies in the ion cyclotron range of frequencies. In recent years, the emphasis of P3E has shifted to theoretical wave propagation and
turbulence In fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is fluid motion characterized by chaotic changes in pressure and flow velocity. It is in contrast to a laminar flow, which occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers, with no disruption between ...
studies, as well as applications of plasma technology to pulsed power devices, plasma synthesis of thin films, high power microwave generation, and electric space propulsion engines. Pulsed power research at Texas Tech began in the early 1970s with studies in high beta controlled thermonuclear fusion. Based on this initial research and other research in the field the need to understand the
physical phenomena Physical may refer to: *Physical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally cons ...
of pulsed power technology. Today the Texas Tech pulsed power research program at P3E focuses on high power switching, materials studies, and high power
microwaves Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter corresponding to frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz respectively. Different sources define different frequency rang ...
. P3E's power electronics research is focused on the usage of very large power
insulated-gate bipolar transistor An insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) is a three-terminal power semiconductor device primarily used as an electronic switch, which, as it was developed, came to combine high efficiency and fast switching. It consists of four alternating lay ...
s (IGBT) for intermittent and steady state operation, the use of ultra high power
silicon-controlled rectifier A silicon controlled rectifier or semiconductor controlled rectifier is a four-layer solid-state current-controlling device. The name "silicon controlled rectifier" is General Electric's trade name for a type of thyristor. The principle of four ...
s (SCR) for pulsed power applications, research into advanced electrical and thermal packaging, robust controls to supply nonlinear loads such as plasma arcs, and high bandwidth monitoring and control of electric machines. The program is also working collaboratively with the
University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
to develop a power electronics curriculum at the national level.


Nano Tech Center

In the Fall of 1999, the Texas Tech Nano Tech Center was formed to capitalize on the growing interest in microsensors and
microanalysis Microanalysis is the chemical identification and quantitative analysis of very small amounts of chemical substances (generally less than 10 mg or 1 ml) or very small surfaces of material (generally less than 1 cm2). One of the pioneer ...
systems. Currently the center is focused on the fundamental science and growth of advanced semiconductor materials for
optoelectronic Optoelectronics (or optronics) is the study and application of electronic devices and systems that find, detect and control light, usually considered a sub-field of photonics. In this context, ''light'' often includes invisible forms of radiat ...
and CMOS applications, and the design, fabrication, characterization and implementation of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS).


Murdough Center for Engineering Professionalism (National Institute for Engineering Ethics)

The Murdough Center for Engineering Professionalism/National Institute for Engineering Ethics provides engineering ethics and professionalism education, research, and communications to students, faculty, staff, and engineers in industry, government and private practice, other professionals, and citizens in the community, state, and nation. The goal of the center is to increase the awareness of the professional and ethical obligations and responsibilities entrusted to individuals who practice engineering, and encourage cooperation among individuals, universities, professional and technical societies and business organizations with regard to engineering ethics and professionalism issues.


Water Resources Center

The Water Resources Center (WRC) was established by the Texas Tech Board of Regents in 1965. Since its inception, the WRC has encouraged, conducted, and coordinated water resources research and related activities. To accomplish this purpose, WRC has adopted a multiphase approach, encompassing research, education, and public service. The WRC also provides public services, both locally and statewide, through its publications, seminars, workshops, and as a resources contact with access to water-related experts throughout the campus.


National Wind Institute

The National Wind Institute Research Center at Texas Tech is an interdisciplinary research center focused on education and information outreach. Its goals are to exploit the useful qualities of wind and to mitigate its detrimental effects. The Center offers an education in wind science and engineering to develop professionals who are experts in design for windstorms and wind-induced effects. Currently the NWI is composed of approximately 25 faculty associates from seven academic departments, four research associates, eight professional staff and 40 graduate students. It is also the home to the only wind science and engineering doctorate program.


Notable organizations

*
Alpha Omega Epsilon Alpha Omega Epsilon () is a social and professional sorority for women in engineering and technical sciences. The sorority was founded by twenty-seven female engineering students at Marquette University on November 13, 1983, and four months late ...
sorority - Beta Alpha chapter *
Alpha Pi Mu Alpha Pi Mu () is an American honor society for Industrial and Systems Engineering students. All chapters are based in the United States, with the exception of one university in Puerto Rico which is an unincorporated territory of the United S ...
chapter (Industrial Engineering Honor Society) * American Institute of Chemical Engineers chapter *
American Society of Civil Engineers American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
chapter * American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers * American Society of Mechanical Engineers chapter * Associated General Contractors chapter * Association for Computing Machinery chapter * Association of Women in Electrical Engineering chapter *
Chi Epsilon Chi Epsilon () is an American civil engineering honor society. It honors engineering students in the United States who have exemplified the "principles of scholarship, character, practicality, and sociability...in the civil engineering pr ...
chapter (Civil Engineering Honor Society) *
Construction Specifications Institute The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) is a United States national association of more than 8,000 construction industry professionals who are experts in building construction and the materials used therein. The institute is dedicated to ...
chapter *
Engineers Without Borders The term Engineers Without Borders (EWB; french: Ingénieurs sans frontières, ISF) is used by a number of non-governmental organizations in various countries to describe their activity based on engineering and oriented to international development ...
chapter *
Eta Kappa Nu Eta Kappa Nu () or IEEE-HKN is the international honor society of the Computer Science and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). "The organization promotes excellence in the profession and in education through an emphasi ...
Gamma Nu chapter (Electrical Engineering Honor Society) * Human Factors and Ergonomics Society chapter * Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers chapter *
Institute of Industrial Engineers The Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), formerly the Institute of Industrial Engineers, is a professional society dedicated solely to the support of the industrial engineering profession and individuals involved with improving ...
chapter * National Society of Black Engineers chapter * Omega Chi Epsilon Alpha Omicron chapter (Chemical Engineering Honor Society) * Pi Epsilon Tau Gamma chapter (Petroleum Engineering Honor Society) * Pi Tau Sigma Sigma Epsilon chapter (Mechanical Engineering Honor Society) *
Society of Automotive Engineers SAE International, formerly named the Society of Automotive Engineers, is a United States-based, globally active professional association and standards developing organization for engineering professionals in various industries. SAE Internatio ...
chapter * Society of Engineering Technologists founding chapter * Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers chapter *
Society of Manufacturing Engineers SME (previously the Society of Manufacturing Engineers) is a non-profit student and professional association for educating and advancing the manufacturing industry in North America. History SME was founded in January 1932 at the height of the G ...
chapter *
Society of Petroleum Engineers The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit professional organization whose stated mission is "to collect, disseminate, and exchange technical knowledge concerning the exploration, development and production of oil an ...
chapter *
Society of Plastics Engineers About SPE—Inspiring Plastics Professionals SPE—Inspiring Plastics Professionals is a global professional membership organization dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and education for professionals employed in the plastics industry. ...
chapter * Society of Women Engineers chapter * Tau Alpha Pi chapter (Engineering Technology Honor Society) * Tau Beta Pi Texas Beta chapter (Engineering Honor Society) * Texas Society of Professional Engineers chapter * Upsilon Pi Epsilon Beta chapter (Computer Science Honor Society)


Notable people


Former students


Faculty


References


External links

* {{Texas Tech University Engineering schools and colleges in the United States Educational institutions established in 1925 Engineering universities and colleges in Texas
Engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...