BY SETH MENSING | University Communications Manager
e: smensing@western.edu p: 970.943.7027
Engineering, Environment, and Nursing highlighted during tour focused on innovation and hands-on learning opportunities.
United States Senator Michael Bennet visited Western Colorado University on Thursday, September 5, to hear from faculty and students during a tour of the Paul M. Rady School of Computer Science and Engineering. He also heard about the University’s nascent nursing offerings and the change-making programs at the Clark Family School of Environment and Sustainability.
“We are incredibly grateful to Senator Bennet for taking the time to visit Western and engage with our faculty and students,” Western Colorado University President Brad Baca said. “His genuine interest in the hands-on learning opportunities we offer, as well as his commitment to education, reflects the values we prioritize here at Western.”
During his visit, Senator Bennet spoke with Greg VanderBeek, a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering who helped launch the Western-CU Boulder Partnership Program. VanderBeek showed the senator the program’s drone room and state-of-the-art lab and manufacturing spaces.
“What we’ve done is create a truly unique experiential education,” VanderBeek said. “Industry wants industry-ready engineers. So what we’ve done is equip our shop spaces with advanced manufacturing technology that’s in line with what the industry uses and with what the Valley needs … We are trying to be a real pillar within the community, supporting everything from non-profits to companies.”
Throughout his tour of the facilities, Senator Bennet appeared to delight in his interactions with students, who answered questions about where they were from, how they got to Western, and how well they were prepared to go from high school to college.
The visit continued with a presentation from the Interim Dean of the Clark Family School of Environment and Sustainability, Micah Russell, who highlighted student-led projects involving public lands management and sustainability initiatives. One project that particularly piqued the Senator’s interest involved using GPS collars on free-range cattle to control their movements and minimize environmental impacts on rangelands. “We should keep an eye on that,” he told his aides.
In addition to the engineering and environmental science programs, Senator Bennet also learned about Western’s nursing program, which is in the early stages of development. Western’s Ferchau Lecturer in Biology, Emily McMahill, shared the program’s goals, including offering Certified Nursing Assistant training, an accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and a traditional BSN, all tailored to meet the specific needs of rural healthcare.
The Senator was happy to see how Western’s Nursing program is uniquely positioned to support rural communities, where access to healthcare remains a critical issue. “We have this massive, massive shortage – not just in rural areas but in rural areas in particular – in nursing and healthcare,” he said.
Senator Bennet was also appreciative of Western’s focus on creating an opportunity for students to enroll in an accelerated program and getting them into the workforce faster. “I worry a lot about this because, just like teaching, the job is getting harder and harder … We’ve got to change the way we operate these systems, and hugely beneficial is shortening the amount of time it takes to get to the place they need to go.”
During his visit, Senator Bennet got to see the forward-thinking approach to education that makes Western a leader in experiential learning and meeting the needs of its community and Colorado. By connecting students with real-world applications in fields as diverse as engineering, environmental sustainability, and healthcare, Western continues to help grow the next generation of leaders prepared to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
PHOTOS BY OLIVIA REINHARDT
