Senior Nick Birschbach knew he wanted to study engineering and computing, but like many undergraduates, he wasn\u2019t sure which of the many options to choose. To figure it out, he resolved to try as many experiences as possible in his journey to a UWM bachelor\u2019s degree in computer engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With his latest accomplishment, Birschbach gets to continue his \u201ctry it on\u201d approach to career identification after graduation. He has been accepted into the two-year GE HealthCare Edison Engineering Development Program that will give him the opportunity to explore a variety of engineering roles in the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t really know what I want to do yet,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, I’m hoping that, through this program and getting extra time to learn before setting myself on a specific career path, I can determine what I really want to focus on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
William Dussault, teaching faculty in electrical engineering, describes the GE Edison program as the company\u2019s nationwide talent search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It consists of rotations, or eight-month stints, in various parts of the company, giving participants the chance to learn aspects of design and manufacturing, Dussault said. The program also includes coursework that will result in nine graduate credits for participants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey recruit from high-profile schools like MIT, Penn State, UW-Madison, Cornell and Georgia Tech,\u201d Dussault said. \u201cIt’s a pretty big deal to get selected and Nick\u2019s acceptance tells us that UWM produces the same caliber of engineers as those more expensive programs do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A desire to impact lives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Birschbach is excited about diving into the engineering behind GE HealthCare products, such as CT and MRI scanners, which produce highly detailed images of the inside of the body without invasive procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI’ve dealt with a lot of family members recently who were diagnosed with cancer and I think these machines are really important technologies that can save lives,\u201d he said. \u201cI’m excited to be able to use the skills I’ve learned here at UWM to pay it forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Birschbach, who hails from Fond du Lac and graduates in May, completed two internships, conducted undergraduate research in assistant professor Roger Shen\u2019s lab, was a campus ambassador from the College and joined a slew of student organizations. One of those was the UWM chapter of Engineers Without Borders that works to create potable water supplies for rural Guatemala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n